Sneakers Unboxed
The sneakers Unboxed exhibition in the Design Museum in Londen explores the sneakers that have become cultural symbols of our times. It explains the history of sports shoes and how they have evolved from sportswear to symbols of status and identity.
Curator Ligaya Salazar describes the sneaker as ‘one of the most ubiquitous designed objects there is in the world’. The history of sneakers starts in 1970s New York, worn by young people in the hip-hop scene. “This was a key moment in the sneaker’s elevation from a sports shoe that you wear for a specific occasion to something that is a part of your identity”, says Salazar, “Through youth culture, sneakers became an industry. Otherwise we would all still be wearing them to go to jogging in”.
The exhibition explores what the future of sneakers might look like, with methods such as customisation providing innovation. Technology drives the design process behind some of the most innovative shoes of today. Kram/Weisshaar developed a robot called Strung that creates uppers by printing string in layers.
Strung by Kram/Weisshaar
Kram/Weisshaar prototype
Satoshi is a brand using blockchain certification for sneaker authentication. By creating a unique digital identity for each pair of Satoshi_one shoes on the blockchain, you can store information for each product line, season, production number, material and so on. When you receive your pair of shoes, you can claim ownership with an App and the NFC tag that comes with the shoes. The products can be traced throughout their lifecycle and the digital identity also makes it possible to connect as a community.
Satoshi-one blockchain sneaker
The world’s first biologically active shoes developed by MIT Design Lab and Biorealize for Puma. The Breathing Shoe is a trainer that changes in response to the biology of the wearer. The upper is made from a material moulded to include cavities that are filled with bacteria. Responding to heat generated by the wearer, the bacteria eats away at the material to create a unique pattern of air passages.
MIT Design Lab and Biorealize for Puma
Sustainability is driving new material design for sneakers. With production increasing and millions of pairs ending up in landfills, the industry’s environmental impact is severe. Steps are being taken by brands to use sustainable materials where possible, replacing the petrol-based materials for materials that are plant-based.
Stan Smith Mylo
Stan Smiths Mylo are made out of mushrooms, an eco-friendly and renewable alternative to leather. The material, created in partnership with biotechnology company Bolt Threads, is constructed with mycelium, the underground roots of mushrooms.
Sneaker Archaeology by Helen Kirkum
Designers customize sneakers by putting different soles from different brands on them, cutting them up and playing with the design and the branding. Customisation is an interesting movement sparked by the idea of recycling and personalisation.
IKEA Ultraboost, customized Adidas by Edmond Looi
Why this matters
Once the symbol of athleticism, sneakers have long transcended their primary function to become fashionable, collector’s items and even art at times. The sneaker hype is driven by a mix of consumer demand, clever brand marketing, product innovation, and internet clout, making it a fashion sector worth around $115 billion a year.