• Nike x Tom Sachs: NikeCraft Lunar Underboot Aeroply Experimentation Research Boot Prototype, 2008–12,
    collection of the artist, courtesy of American Federation of Arts


  • The Rise of Sneaker Culture exhibition, photographed by Jonathan Dorado

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Ancient Egyptian bronzes, Henri Matisse and… sneakers? Yes, you read that right. Right now, you can take in all of the above at the Brooklyn Museum, which is elevating sporty kicks to fine art with its major summer exbition The Rise of Sneaker Culture. The show, open till October 4th, doesn’t just trace the humble shoe’s history — although it does go back to rubber soles from the 1800s — it also examines its overwhelming impact on social and cultural history, such as Converse’s Chuck Taylors of the Seventies punk era and the revolutionary Air Jordans of the Eighties, which vaulted sneakers into cult status. Also on glass-cased display: Collaborations with Chanel (Reebok), Run-D.M.C. (Adidas) and artist Tom Sachs (Nike).