Sneakers as Art: Cool New Exhibit Steps into Brooklyn, Great for Adults and Kids Alike

A new sneaker exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum—yes, sneakers at an institution of fine art—sheds light on how the utilitarian athletic shoe has taken on more meaning in recent decades. Stepping out in a pair of Chuck Taylors conveys something very different than wearing Air Jordans–a style statement even clueless parents can “get.” See why this design exploration is worth sharing with your kids!

Twenty years or 30 years ago, it was perhaps inconceivable that sneakers would become the subject of an exhibition at a fine arts museum, yet that’s precisely what will happen on July 10 when an exhibit called The Rise of Sneaker Culture debuts at the Brooklyn Museum.

Running through October 4, The Rise of Sneaker Culture traces the history of the sneaker from its origins in the mid-1800s as a leather-soled track shoe to its emergence as the rubber-soled sneaker in the early 20th century (some place the date in the late 1800s), and up through contemporary times. All the while, the exhibit chronicles how seemingly benign athletic footwear became intertwined with popular culture, fashion, fitness crazes that influenced world events, socioeconomic conditions, and sociology in general.

It’s hard to define, but the concept of “sneaker culture” involves the simultaneous discussion, appreciation, and obsession of the sneaker and all of its influences in our lives. 

“Sneakers have a language all their own,” says Elizabeth Semmelhack, the senior curator at Toronto’s Bata Shoe Museum and curator of Brooklyn Museum’s The Rise of Sneaker Culture. “There’s a minefield of meaning linked to every type of sneaker. Stepping out in a pair of Chuck Taylor’s is different than stepping out in Air Jordans.”

There’s Meaning Behind Sneaker Choices

Travel to any corner of the globe and you’ll likely see people wearing sneakers, much like the retired schoolteacher on the block is doing his gardening in a pair of white, generic-looking comfort shoes. In this context sneakers are the ubiquitous example of democratization, easily obtainable and inexpensive. Still, most of us are aware of the intrinsic social value that comes with any item that’s expensive, elite, and difficult to find (such as sneakers made in limited editions and exclusive models).

“While it’s true that we can all wear some form of sneaker,” Semmelhack says, “not every sneaker type is going to convey concepts of status and fashion, and the nuanced expression of status that links to subcultures and individual expression.” Thus, a bland, generic off-brand found in a big box, wholesale club store won’t allow you to convey a fondness for hip-hop or urban style, or for that matter punk rock and nostalgia for the 1970s.

One thing the exhibit conveys is how the sneaker was symbolic of socio-economics, status, and the haves and have-nots aspect of society. “In some ways the sneaker is democratic, and in other ways it’s not,” admits Semmelhack. “Not all sneakers are created equal.” Examples of inexpensive, canvas and rubber Keds, and early examples of classic Converse basketball sneakers exist alongside highly coveted Gucci designs costing thousands clearly attest to this. Elsewhere, sneakers that are representative of the evolution of sneaker culture are proudly displayed, including the classic Adidas Samba which, according to Semmelhack, perhaps started what we know as sneaker culture.

Sports, Street Trends, and Celebs First Imbue Sneakers with Style

“The Samba segued from being a soccer training shoe to something seen on the streets of Europe in the late ’60s where they were worn by hippies,” Semmelhack  says. The excitement over sneakers truly blossomed in the ’70s when “me decade” fitness freaks began running en-masse and brands like Nike responded with pricey, high-end shoes such as the Waffle Trainer and the Cortez. Fitness became trendy and fashionable, and expensive running sneakers were status symbols that found their ways into elite places such as Studio 54.

Around the same time, basketball emerged as a dominant American sport, and superstar athletes like Walt “Clyde” Frazier and Kareem Abdul Jabbar became associated with basketball sneakers that, in urban neighborhoods, became symbolic of status due to their high price and the inherent “cool factor” due to association with pro athletes.

Hip-Hop Culture Elevates the Sneaker to New Heights

As the exhibit ably recognizes, hip-hop and urban culture became almost reliant upon the style factor of sneakers, and nobody demonstrated this more than Run DMC, the Queens, New York rap group that used Adidas clothing and the iconic Superstar sneaker (not coincidentally the sneaker used by Kareem Abdul Jabbar) as an essential element in their presentation. This was in the ’80s, an era that also introduced another superstar athlete by way of Michael Jordan. With his mid-’80s signing to the Chicago Bulls came the Nike Air Jordan sneaker, a high-top model that had all the trappings for a sneaker obsessive: great looks, a superstar association, and a high price tag. From there, an explosion of expensive, predominantly basketball sneakers emerged, many offered as exclusive and hard to obtain. Hence, it’s the combination of hip-hop and basketball that kicked sneaker culture into high gear, with obsessive collectors, or “sneaker heads,” right there to scoop up the vintage and limited-edition models.

Sneakers Go Retro

If there was a golden age for sneaker culture it might be the 1990s, when the popular aesthetic including music trends began an affair with all things retro. Much of hip-hop and dance music began to use sounds and samples from the ’70s, which in sneaker culture resulted in numerous shoe manufacturers reissuing classic sneakers, among them the Puma Clyde, Converse One-Stars, classic Asics Tigers, and many others that happen to be included in the exhibit.

As artists of all stripes, from indie rockers to fine artists, embraced these newer retro sneakers, men of all backgrounds looked to their feet to express their fashion sense. “In the ‘90s, men in particular turned to sneakers as a means of expressing individuality. This led to sneakers being more acceptable in the workplace particularly on casual Fridays,” Semmelhack says.  

Which leads us to the present–and a huge democratization of the sneaker. This can be seen by the popularity of casual footwear that draws heavily from the sneaker by way of its overall design and choice of materials. This kind of footwear, which comes close to the sneaker without actually being one, is commonplace on the street and in many offices. Still, the sneaker has hardly lost its import as status symbol. “High-end fashion designers have gotten in the sneaker game and many produce limited edition, hand crafted models, often with understated elegance,” Semmelhack says. 

And so, with all of its nuances, complexities, semantics, and style, the almighty sneaker holds court at the Brooklyn Museum. “Sneakers are such an important part of contemporary culture,” Semmelhack tells me toward the end of our conversation. “There’s so much cultural information embedded in a mass-produced item like this. It’s really a unique piece of art.”

The Brooklyn Museum will feature The Rise of Sneaker Culture exhibition in its Morris A. and Meyer Schapiro Wing, 5th floor, from July 10 through October 4, 2015.

Top Image: Pierre Hardy. Poworama, 2011. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto; Gift of Pierre Hardy. (Photo: Ron Wood. Courtesy of American Federation of Arts)