Artwork for Design Museum Den Bosch's new exhibition ‘Sneakers Unboxed’. The concept is based on the iconic status of the sneaker as one of the most coveted design objects of our time, a new golden calf of sort. 'Sneakers Unboxed' is a collaboration with the Design Museum London and StockX, the global e-commerce marketplace for current culture products.⁠

Within a short space of time, sneakers have become the most popular design object in the world. The exhibition Sneakers Unboxed offers you a behind-thescenes look at the footwear that has triggered technological breakthroughs, inspired new youth cultures and turned the fashion world on its head. Sneakers are bought and worn every day by millions of people worldwide. Over 1.1 billion pairs were sold in 2021 alone. Sneakers Unboxed combines the shoes’ history and cultural context with the latest innovations in design and sustainability.

“Sneakers are the most important cultural artefact of our century. They bring together all our era’s big design themes: from sustainability to commerce, style to subculture, technology to fashion.’”
—
Timo de Rijk, Director of the Design Museum Den Bosch

The Sneakers Unboxed exhibition was originally developed for and by the Design Museum in London. The version shown in Den Bosch not only looks totally different, it also tells the story of sneaker culture in the Netherlands. This is the first-ever opportunity, for instance, to see all the collabs by Dutch company Patta together at a single exhibition. There is a detailed exploration too of the special connection between the Nike Air Max BW and gabber, the Dutch hardcore techno culture. Skate culture is highlighted in various ways, including a film about Fret Click, a Dutch skate crew that has had a big influence on the skateboarding world while also producing noteworthy figures in the sneaker industry, such as Piet Parra and Woei. Work by Parra can be seen in the exhibition, along with other Dutch designers like Studio Hagel, Elisa van Joolen and Peterson Stoop.