“Finally, something for the guys, I was getting sick of the ballerinas!” (I believe he was referring to Degas & the Dance exhibition, lol!), exclaimed my 8 year old son as we perused the latest exhibition at the Toledo Museum of Art, The Rise of Sneaker Culture!
Sneakers have long been loved as a staple of casual fashion, transcending gender, age, and socioeconomic categories to become the footwear of choice for millions across the globe. Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture tells the sneaker’s complex and fascinating story through approximately 150 pairs drawn from the collections of the Bata Shoe Museum; the Northampton Museums and Art Gallery; the Kosow Sneaker Museum; the archives of Adidas, Converse, Nike, and PUMA; and private collectors such as Dee Wells of Obsessive Sneaker Disorder, Bobbito Garcia, and legendary hip-hop group Run—DMC. Source
I have to be honest; I kind of thought the exhibition would be a tad boring. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love shoes just as much as the next girl but sneakers, really!? And then I entered the exhibition and surprisingly found myself intrigued! The exhibition goes deeper than just the sneaker; it addresses the history, structure, cultural connection, value, marketing, fashion, etc.
The Rise of Sneaker Culture includes iconic sneakers ranging from an 1860 spiked running shoe, track shoes from the 1936 Olympics, an original Air Force 1 and Air Jordan 1, and early Adidas Superstars, to contemporary examples designed by such prominent figures as Damien Hirst, Christian Louboutin, Kanye West, and Nike sneaker design legend Tinker Hatfield. Out of the Box also features sneakers and related prototype drawings from Nike Archives, which span the career of legendary designers like Tinker Hatfield, as well as a complete presentation of Air Jordans I–XX3 on loan from the Kosow Sneaker Museum, which highlight the pivotal role this coveted series of sneakers has played in the rise of contemporary sneaker culture. Source
My little fashionista enjoyed walking around and seeing all the different styles.
Meanwhile my 10 year old daughter wasn’t much interested until we entered Gallery 28C a.k.a. the room at the end. It was filled with fun, interactive, engaging games, an area where you can design your own sneaker and add it to the gallery for all to see, a spot to post your “shoefie”, like a selfie pic of your shoes.
Then we headed downstairs for the Family Center to make some fun creative masterpieces and get our play on!!
The Rise of Sneaker Culture is a traveling exhibition and The Toledo Museum of Art is the only Ohio venue for this show, so don’t miss it! It is here Dec. 3, 2015-Feb. 28th, 2016. Admission is FREE!! This makes a perfect date night!! If you have kiddos make certain your visit on a day that the Family Center is open (Tues & Thurs 10am-2pm, Fri 3:30pm-8pm, and Sun noon-5pm). The Family Center is also FREE! Best of all, with all that dough you saved you can grab a snack in the café and/or a souvenir in the store…commemorate the art of quality time together at TMA!
Mom on the go in Holy Toledo 