Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks
February 7, 2026 - June 7, 2026
Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks is a groundbreaking new exhibition featuring nearly 60 futuristic footwear designs pushing the boundaries of what footwear can be. Exhibiting an incredible mix of fashion, design, gaming, new media, architecture, and material arts as well as sustainable and collaborative practices, the exhibition showcases work by designers as diverse as Rem D. Koolhaas and Zaha Hadid, innovators Mr. Bailey and Salehe Bembury, as well as designs made in collaboration with fashion icons Rick Owens, Stella McCartney, and Yohji Yamamoto, and top gaming and innovation companies such as PlayStation, Gravity Sketch, and more.
Future Now features sections exploring Innovation, Sustainability, Transformative, and Virtual shoes. Exhibition highlights include the self-lacing Nike MAG (first conceived for the movie Back to the Future Part II), digitally designed and 3D-printed shoes, sneakers made from mushroom leather and reclaimed ocean plastics, virtual footwear, and more.
“The future is always being shaped by the present. The exhibition includes many incredible and innovative new footwear designs that are promising to transform what we will wear tomorrow. From sneakers created to address issues related to sustainability and inclusion to shoes that blur the line between the real world and the metaverse, this exhibition explores how forward-looking creators are helping us step into the future.”
—Elizabeth Semmelhack, Director and Senior Curator, Bata Shoe Museum
Learn about sponsorship opportunities for Future Now here.
KIA Members are invited to a Members’ Preview to see Future Now on February 6, before it opens to the public.
RSVP for the Members’ Preview Event
Look for additional experiences to explore the themes of Future Now, including:
- Shoe Trivia at a Community Shoe Art Exhibition in conjunction with the Kalamazoo Public Library in February
- Future Now Community Day in March
- Future Now Family Night with a Gallery Gathering in April
- Book Discussion about “Sneaker Marauders: Poems” by Ran Walker and Van G. Garrett in May
…And much more, including speakers, events, and programs.
The exhibition is co-organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Bata Shoe Museum, and curated by Elizabeth Semmelhack, Director and Senior Curator of the Bata Shoe Museum.
This exhibition at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts is made possible, in part, with generous support from:
Innovative Sponsor:
Virtual Sponsors:
Sustainable Sponsor:
Friend Sponsor:
