fashion & art review: Art/Wear: Sneakers x Artists

 

 Are sneakers art?

That's the question the Bata Shoe Museum of Toronto poses in its new show, Art/Wear: Sneakers x Artists, opening October 3 and running through March 2023, 2026.  

On view are vintage and recent pieces designed by artists, including Damien Hirst, Jean-Michel Basquiat, KAWS, Vicky Vuong (top) Keith Haring, Kenzo Minami, Michael Lau, Peter Max, Ruohan Wang and many others. Some shoes are too beautiful to wear, such as the psychedelic psneaks designed by pop artist Peter Max. (BTW, his 1968 high-tops fetch around $2,000 these days.) Most of them alluring and downright cool. 

MACHE: Blank Canvas Mache Runners inspired by John Lennon's psychedelic Rolls-Royce of 1967

 

The show, curated by Elizabeth Semmelhack, wisely makes the connection between graffiti art, sneaks and the early days of rap, which blossomed in early-1980s New York. Eric Haze, Stash, Futura and Jean-Michel Basquiat were some of these key artists. Today, these designer sneaks reach a mass market and mean big business, such as the pair (above) designed by KAWS (above) tied in with The Simpsons TV series and Vans, the hip clothing brand.

 

Sneakerheads and fashionistas will delight in Art/Wear.

 

JUDI WERTHEIN: Brinco cross-trainer, 2005