The exhibition ‘Out of the Box: the Rise of the Sneaker Culture’, curated by Elizabeth Semmelhack, is on show at the Speed Art Museum, Louisville, Kentucky, from the 10th September to the 27th November 2016.

The first in the US to reconstruct the 150 years history of the sneakers, ‘Out of the Box: the Rise of the Sneaker Culture’ illustrates the evolution of the sneakers from the 19th century to today. In the exhibition are featured more than 150 sneaker shoes that include a rare example of an 1860s spiked running shoe and an original 1917 Converse All Star/Non Skid alongside contemporary sneakers collaborations with prominent figures such as Damien Hirst, Jeremy Scott, Jeff Staple and Kanye West. Alongside them, photographs and design drawings are showcased to integrate this journey in fashion and design history. Organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Bata Shoe Museum, this stage of the exhibition also features several regional icons, including John Wall, Rajon Rondo, the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky.

For more information, please visit the event page on the Speed Art Museum website.

Image: Pierre Hardy, Poworama, 2011. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum, gift of Pierre Hardy. Photo: Ron Wood.Courtesy American Federation of Arts/Bata Shoe Museum.