Sneakers x Culture: Collab

A celebration of the great sneaker collaborations that have reinvented the shoe, elevating this most practical of footwear to the world of wearable art.

The ubiquitous sneaker is the canvas upon which so many defiers of convention – artists, musicians, athletes and celebrities – have sought to make their mark and, through the sneaker, contribute to a unique identity and attitude among sneakerheads everywhere. Here are the best sneaker collaborations with the biggest manufacturers – Adidas, Converse, Nike, Puma, Reebok – with nearly a hundred famous, infamous and lesser-known partnerships.

Museum-quality studio photographs of each sneaker are accompanied by visuals collected from the sneaker makers' archives, as well as ephemera such as design sketches and drawings that illustrate the creative process. Author Elizabeth Semmelhack has conducted interviews with many collaborators, including an extensive Q and A with Chris Hill, head of design for Reebok, who has worked with Pyer Moss, Cameron and many others.

In his introduction, Semmelhack explores the history of collaborations, starting from the beginning with Jack Purcell, whose sneakers remain largely unchanged today. More than eighty sneaker collaborations are featured, including Virgil Abloh (ten styles!), KAWS, Pharrell Williams, Bobbito Garcia, Damien Hirst, Jeremy Scott, Eminem, Supreme, Chanel, Missoni, Rihanna, Missy Elliott, Dr. Woo and Fear of God.