By now, I’m sure my love of Atlanta is incredibly apparent. If there’s anything that outweighs it just a little more, it’s gotta be my love of sneakers. The only thing better than throwing on a pair of colorful kicks or spending a day lost in “The A” was taking the opportunity to do both when I checked out The Rise of Sneaker Culture exhibit at The High Museum of Art.
Even if loafers and brogues are more your thing, you can’t deny the indelible footprint of sneaker culture in the fashion game. From legendary brands bringing their logos to the streets to designer collaborations, the big business of favored footwear has birthed a history worthy enough to be in a museum…literally.
Originally showcased in 2015 at Brooklyn Museum and sponsored by the American Federation of Arts and the Bata Shoe Museum, Out of The Box’s The Rise of Sneaker Culture exhibition made its way south to The High, bringing along the textured and diverse tale of some of the world’s most intriguing shoes. Well-kept selections from brands like Puma, Nike, Reebok, Vans, and Troop helped to shape the exhibit that certainly touched the heart and sole (see what I did there?) of this sneakerhead.
Featuring about 150 of history’s most notable (and dope) sneaker designs and prototypes, the main space of the exhibit showcases the unique designs and crazy color ways coveted by international collectors. Among these are a pair of the three-striped Adidas Superstar RUN DMC made famous in the 1980s, the Air Jordan 1 that set the tone for a tennis shoe dynasty, and even Reebok’s Freestyle — a pale pink piece of iconography that speaks to the slight, yet meaningful, role women have played in the pervasive sneaker culture.
In addition to the clear cases of kicks, I got the chance to check out an excerpt of the 2005 sneaker freak doc Just For Kicks and to flip through the pages of the exhibit’s accompanying hardcover sneaker book while learning the well-documented history of athletic shoe culture by way of printed walls throughout the exhibit space.
A few of my personal exhibition favorites include the Pony M-100, the original Converse All Star, and the Reebok Pump Prototype.
I don’t know if or when The Rise of Sneaker Culture will hit museums again, but if it hits your city or a city near you, lace up your favorite pair of kicks and run — don’t walk — to catch the exhibit when it’s around your way.