Sneaker Revolution opens on November 6th at the Prato Fabric Museum: history, design and innovation of the models that have become a language
«Mom always said that you can understand many things from a person’s shoes. Where is she going, where has she been” so Forrest Gump in 1994. And if those shoes are sneakers, they say even more. Because the gym shoe is one of those phenomena that emerge from their field to embrace unexpected territories from fashion to politics, from music to design, becoming culture and language. Suffice it to say that six single shoes in 2024 were auctioned by Sotheby’s for 8 million dollars. The Nike Air Jordan batch is universally recognized as the Dynasty Collection, i.e. the sneakers worn by Michael Jordan during the NBA playoffs of six different seasons. Capable of filling the scene of the basketball court as well as that of the Haute Couture catwalks, these shoes are at the center of the Sneaker Revolution exhibition, which will be inaugurated on Friday 6 November at the Textile Museum in Via Puccetti 3 in Prato. Presented by the institution together with the creative company Beside Arts & Publishing, the retrospective, scheduled until May 2, is the first Italian exhibition to address the history of the sneaker from its genesis, it was designed only for sport, to its transformation into a symbol, crossing history, culture and innovation. Curated by Arianna Sarti of the Prato Textile Museum, together with Francesca Biagioli, founder of Beside Arts & Publishing, the exhibition unfolds through different themes, underlining the universal character of footwear, while on display there are examples signed, among others, by Allbirds, Asics, Converse, Diadora, Fila, Golden Goose, New Balance, Nike, On, Onitsuka Tiger, Hidn-Ander, Puma, Reebok, Saye and Vans; pieces from private collections such as that of Marco Colombo, sustainable models donated by Coronet, Fessura, Id.Eight, Steve’s, and Veja and models from the archives of adidas, Balenciaga, Gucci, Hogan/Tod’s, Lotto, Prada, Superga. Accompanying Sneaker Revolution is the eponymous catalog with contributions in the catalog by Gloria Maria Cappelletti, founder of Red-Eye.world and NABA and Polytechnic University of Milan professor; Nicoletta De Menna, historian and scholar of customs, author and performer of the ANSA podcast La Storia nell’Armadio; Antonio Mancinelli, writer, teacher and columnist; Maurizio Ridolfo, author, television presenter and NABA Milan teacher; Gianluca Vitiello, radio host and expert in Urban culture. The volume is then enriched by the technical data sheets for each model present and by the interview with coach Dan Peterson.
