TORONTO, April 10, 2013 /CNW/ - The Bata Shoe Museum is thrilled to announce its newest exhibition, Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture, opening to the public on April 25, 2013.
Out of the Box is the first exhibition in North America to showcase the history of sneaker culture and features over 120 sneakers representing the past 150 years. Highlighting iconic sneakers, Museum visitors will see the historical beginnings of the sneaker from its emergence in the 19th century to becoming one of the most democratic forms of footwear in the 20th century to its current position as status symbol and icon of urban culture.
Rare sneakers from the archives of adidas, Nike, Reebok, PUMA, Converse and Northampton Museums and Art Gallery, and loans from rap legends Run DMC, sneaker guru Bobbito Garcia aka Kool Bob Love and Dee Wells from OSD will be featured. The exhibition will also include the latest designs from fashion designers, including Christian Louboutin, Pierre Hardy, Lanvin and Prada, as well as exceptional limited editions. A particular highlight is the handpicked sneakers and sketches by Nike designers Tinker Hatfield, Tobie Hatfield, Mark Smith and Eric Avar.
"Since the 19th century sneakers have been intimately linked to expressions of status as well as gender," said Elizabeth Semmelhack, Senior Curator at the Bata Shoe Museum and Curator of the Out of the Box exhibition. "I am particularly interested in how sneaker culture today is intertwined with shifts in idealized masculinity and how, what I am calling, the sneakerfication of men's dress is defining these changes."
The exhibition was designed by famed industrial designer Karim Rashid. A significant departure from the Bata Shoe Museum's previous installations, the exhibit's look is very modern in style and vibe with blasts of colour against the predominantly white environment, a design that is true to Karim's aesthetics and vision.
In addition to the lenders already noted, the Bata Shoe Museum's sneaker holdings are complemented by loans from individuals and organizations, including PONY, Ewing Athletics, Mache, Phillip Nutt, Thad Jayaseelan, Sheraz Amin, Christian Louboutin, Chad Jones, Matte Babel and contemporary artists Tom Sachs and Shantell Martin.
Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture will be on view until March 30, 2014.
Image with caption: "Dutton and Thorowgood running shoes, 1860-1865. This pair is thought to be the oldest extant running shoes and features leather uppers and small heels similar to men's dress shoes of the period. The spikes on the soles, however, give them away as running shoes. The other unusual detail is the supporting broad band of leather across the instep. Photo credit: Collection of the Northampton Museums & Art Gallery. Image © 2013 Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto, Canada (CNW Group/Bata Shoe Museum)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130410_C4135_PHOTO_EN_25386.jpg
Image with caption: "Converse All Star, 1931. The iconic Converse All Star was debuted in 1917 and by 1921 famed basketball player Chuck Taylor joined the company to promote the sneaker and advise on its design and development. His name was added to the All Star in 1934, three years after this pair was made. Photo credit: Collection of the Northampton Museums & Art Gallery. Image © 2013 Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto, Canada (CNW Group/Bata Shoe Museum)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130410_C4135_PHOTO_EN_25385.jpg
Image with caption: "Nike Waffle Trainer, 1974. In his quest to make lightweight running shoes, Olympic level track coach and Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman was constantly trying to make improvements. Bowerman discovered that by pressing rubber into a waffle maker, he could create soles that used less material but also featured durable treads. Photo credit: Collection of the Northampton Museums & Art Gallery. Image © 2013 Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto, Canada (CNW Group/Bata Shoe Museum)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130410_C4135_PHOTO_EN_25388.jpg
Image with caption: "Adidas Micropacer, 1984. Released in 1984, this revolutionary shoe had a micro sensor in the left toe that could record distance, running pace and caloric consumption which was retrieved on the readout screen found on the left shoe. The choice of silver gilt leather and unusual lace covers also established that these sneakers were part of a new era. Photo credit: Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum, gift of Phillip Nutt. Image © 2013 Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto, Canada (CNW Group/Bata Shoe Museum)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130410_C4135_PHOTO_EN_25384.jpg
Image with caption: "Nike Air Jordan I, 1985. In 1984 Nike began making sneakers for the phenomenal Chicago Bulls rookie, Michael Jordan. However, the NBA did not allow colourful sneakers to be worn so each time Jordan wore a pair of red-and-black Air Jordans during a game he was fined $5000. Jordan's defiant flouting of the rules combined with his athletic prowess transformed his footwear into icons. Photo credit: Collection of Nike Archives. Image © 2013 Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto, Canada (CNW Group/Bata Shoe Museum)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130410_C4135_PHOTO_EN_25404.jpg
Image with caption: "Pierre Hardy Poworama, 2011. Pierre Hardy launched his eponymous line of footwear for women in 1999 and for men in 2002. Among his many designs are sneakers that play with primary colors and geometric shapes. The design of this pair of limited edition Poworamas was inspired by the artwork of Roy Lichtenstein and translates the artist's graphic appeal into wearable art. Photo credit: Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum, gift of Pierre Hardy. Image © 2013 Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto, Canada (CNW Group/Bata Shoe Museum)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130410_C4135_PHOTO_EN_25405.jpg
PDF available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/media/2013/04/10/20130410_C4135_DOC_EN_25437.pdf
SOURCE: Bata Shoe Museum
For information/interviews/visuals:
Rosmarie Gadzovski
Bata Shoe Museum
416.979.7799 x225 or [email protected]
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