See the Incredible Evolution of Sneakers in the Brooklyn Museum's Latest Exhibit

By Andrea Cheng
Jul 14, 2015 @ 4:15 pm
Getty Images Europe

When the athleisure movement (in conjunction with the normcore trend) started to gain traction last year, there was a discernible shift in the shoe sphere, in which teetering sky-high stilettos stepped aside to make room for comfy kicks in throwback styles, graphic florals, and everything in between. Enter customization, designer collabs, and celebrity limited edition launches, and sneaker options are impossibly endless.

Following in the footsteps of its "Killer Heels: Art of the High Heel Shoe" exhibit, Brooklyn Museum has put on an exhibition "The Rise of Sneaker Culture" that explores, well, sneaker culture, tracing its origins from the 1800s to the present, touching on the Air Jordan phenomenon, innovative styles, and high-fashion designs throughout history.

"The Rise of Sneaker Culture is the first exhibition to explore the complex social history and cultural significance of the footwear now worn by billions of people throughout the world," states a Brooklyn Museum press release. The exhibit, which features 150 pairs of sneakers, will be on display from now until October 4 at the Brooklyn Museum (200 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, N.Y.).

But in case you won't be in the area anytime soon, we brought the exhibit to you. Ahead, study up on the evolution of sneakers, courtesy of the museum.

PHOTOS: See the Evolution of Sneakers from the Brooklyn Museum's "Rise of Sneaker Culture" Exhibit

Start Slideshow

1 of 18

Thomas Dutton and Thorowgood

Courtesy American Federation of Arts/Bata Shoe Museum

Running Shoe, 1860–65 

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 18

Converse Rubber Shoe Company

Courtesy American Federation of Arts

All Star/Non Skid, 1917 

3 of 18

Dominion Rubber Company

Courtesy American Federation of Arts/Bata Shoe Museum

Fleet Foot, circa 1925 

Advertisement

4 of 18

Gebrüdder Dassler Schuhfabrik

Courtesy American Federation of Arts

Modell Waitzer, 1936 

5 of 18

Converse

Courtesy American Federation of Arts/Bata Shoe Museum

Gripper, late 1940s-early 1950s 

6 of 18

Nike

Courtesy American Federation of Arts/Bata Shoe Museum

Waffle Trainer, 1974 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 18

Adidas

Courtesy American Federation of Arts

Stan Smith, circa 1980s 

8 of 18

Adidas 

Courtesy American Federation of Arts/Bata Shoe Museum

Micropacer, 1984 

9 of 18

Nike

Courtesy American Federation of Arts/Bata Shoe Museum

Air Jordan I, 1985 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 18

Nike

Courtesy American Federation of Arts

Air Jordan III, 1988 

11 of 18

Nike 

Courtesy American Federation of Arts/Bata Shoe Museum

Foamposite, 1997 

12 of 18

Nike x Supreme 

Courtesy American Federation of Arts/Bata Shoe Museum

Dunk High Pro SB, 2003 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 18

Nike x Tom Sachs 

Courtesy American Federation of Arts

NikeCraft Lunar Underboot Aeroply Experimentation Research Boot Prototype, 2008–12 

14 of 18

Louis Vuitton x Kanye West 

Courtesy American Federation of Arts/Bata Shoe Museum

Don, 2009 

15 of 18

Pierre Hardy 

Courtesy American Federation of Arts/Bata Shoe Museum

Poworama, 2011 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 18

adidas x Run—DMC

Courtesy American Federation of Arts/Bata Shoe Museum

25th Anniversary Superstar, 2011 

17 of 18

PUMA x Undefeated 

Courtesy American Federation of Arts/Bata Shoe Museum

Clyde Gametime Gold, 2012 

18 of 18

Common Projects 

Courtesy American Federation of Arts

Achilles Low, 2015 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Up Next

Advertisement
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.instyle.com