This was published 1 year ago
Footwear fans get their kicks at Qld exhibition of rare sneakers
By Nick Dent
Not everyone feels at home in an art gallery, but visitors to HOTA Gallery in Surfers Paradise may find its latest show fits them like a comfortable old pair of shoes.
Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street is a tribute to sneaker culture, which in the past 50 years has seen rubber-soled trainers evolve from functional sportswear into fashionable symbols of identity and expression.
Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street charts the design and cultural journey of sneakers.Credit: Ed Reeve
“Sneakers are now the primary footwear for most people, so I think there is a connection to everyone. It’s quite democratic,” said the exhibition’s curator, Ligaya Salazar.
“Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street reveals the role young people from diverse backgrounds have played in making individual sneakers into style icons, and in driving an industry now worth billions,” Salazar said.
The exhibition showcases more than 200 shoes, plus photography, posters, videos and artworks.
Highlights include Nike’s groundbreaking Air Jordan collaborations with basketball legend Michael Jordan; the Adidas Superstar shoes popularised by hip-hop stars Run-DMC; and a pair of the Nike sneakers given exclusively to athletes at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Puma X Rime NYC Luxe Sky Wedge (2013) sneakers are among the 200 on display.Credit: Ed Reeve
Colourful fashion collaborations with Comme des Carçons, Balenciaga, Martine Rose, Tom Sachs and Pharrell Williams are included.
A section of the exhibition is dedicated to the new technologies that have driven the development of sneakers, including moves towards sustainable and ethical manufacturing.
Salazar said sneakers had been around since the 19th century but came into their own as a cultural item in the 1980s.
“The oldest shoes in the show are two Converse pairs from the 1930s, which is a feat because most don’t last more than 10 to 20 years,” she said.
The exhibition was first staged at The Design Museum in London in 2021 and is exclusive in Australia to HOTA Gallery.
HOTA’s interim CEO, Mik Auckland, said Sneakers Unboxed was the first design exhibition to be held at the gallery since it opened in 2021.
Adidas NMD HU Pharrell Human Race “Yellow” (2016) make an artistic statement.Credit: Ed Reeve
“As an active city with a vibrant street culture and enthusiasm for fashion, the Gold Coast in summer is the perfect time and place to celebrate the iconic footwear phenomenon,” he said.
Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street runs at HOTA Gallery, Surfers Paradise, from November 25. Adult tickets are $23.