Jeff Staple x RTFKT, Meta-Pigeon K-Minus, 2021, Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum, gift of RTFKT. Image courtesy of RTFKT.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | IMAGES
Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks
On view September 20, 2025–January 4, 2026 at Mint Museum Randolph
Charlotte, North Carolina (August 8, 2025) — Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks explores the evolution of shoes, from 19th-century industrial breakthroughs to today’s boundary-pushing designs built for both the real world and the metaverse.
Organized in collaboration with the American Federation of Arts and the Bata Shoe Museum, Future Now brings together approximately 60 cutting-edge footwear designs from the Bata Shoe Museum’s renowned collection—home to more than 13,000 pairs of shoes—as well as loans from institutions, private collectors, visionary designers, and inventors around the globe.
Featured designers include trailblazers such as Salehe Bembury, Steven Smith, RTFKT, Mr. Bailey, Zaha Hadid, Nike ISPA, Safa Şahin, EKTO VR, Saysh, Benoit Méléard, SCRY, and many more. Their work explores the intersection of technology, sustainability, fashion, and virtual innovation.
The exhibition, organized into five sections, begins with an overview of new technologies and materials from the 19th and 20th centuries and includes some of the earliest sneakers, made in the 1890s, and evening shoes with celluloid heels from the 1920s.
Mr. Bailey, Octopus Shoe, 2018. Collection of Mr. Bailey. Image courtesy of Mr. Bailey.
The historical context of the show traces the shift from artisan shoemaking in the 19th century to mass production—driven by industrialization and new synthetic materials—highlighting the resulting cultural, social, and environmental challenges. The contemporary designers reflect on this legacy while imagining more inclusive, eco-conscious, and technologically advanced futures.
“Incredible and innovative new footwear designs promise to transform what we will wear tomorrow,” says Elizabeth Semmelhack, curator of the exhibition and director and senior curator of the Bata Shoe Museum. “From sneakers created to address 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.”
Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks is co-organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Bata Shoe Museum. This exhibition is curated by Elizabeth Semmelhack, Director and Senior Curator, Bata Shoe Museum. The exhibition is generously sponsored in Charlotte by PNC. Individual sponsorship is kindly provided by Kati and Chris Small, and Ann and Michael Tarwater. The Mint Museum is supported, in part, by the City of Charlotte and the North Carolina Arts Council.
Special Events:
Party in the Park | Sneakspeaks
October 26, 1–5 PM
Mint Museum Randolph | FREE
To celebrate the exhibition, the Mint will host a community celebration on October 26 during Party in the Park at Mint Museum Randolph. The event will include free museum admission, custom sole station in collaboration with Shoedio, a panel discussion about sneaker concept and design, a sneaker stroll, and sneaker battle, plus food trucks, a live DJ, and cash bar.
Public talk with Elizabeth Semmelhack
November 16, 2–3 PM
Mint Museum Randolph | FREE
Bata Shoe Museum Director and Senior Curator Elizabeth Semmelhack is one of the best-known shoe historians today. Hear directly from Semmelhack about why shoes matter, what they say about us as wearers, and how designers are revolutionizing what we will put on our feet tomorrow. Semmelhack has curated over 20 exhibitions and authored more than 30 articles and books, including the acclaimed “Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture.” Her work has been featured in “The New York Times,” “Vogue,” “National Geographic,” and on NBC’s “Today Show.”
Exhibition catalogue
The exhibition is accompanied by a visually rich catalogue published by Rizzoli Electa. Originally developed for the presentation at the Bata Shoe Museum (May 2022–October 2023), the book includes in-depth interviews with designers such as Allyson Felix, Salehe Bembury, Mr. Bailey, and more, offering insights into the creative processes and inspirations shaping the future of footwear.
About the curator
Elizabeth Semmelhack is internationally recognized as one of the leading voices in fashion curation. As Director and Senior Curator at the Bata Shoe Museum, she has curated over 20 exhibitions and authored more than 30 articles and books, including the acclaimed “Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture.” Her work has been featured in “The New York Times,” “Vogue,” “National Geographic,” and on NBC’s “Today Show.”
About The Mint Museum
Established in 1936 as north Carolina’s first art museum, The Mint Museum is a leading, innovative cultural institution and museum of international art and design. With two locations — Mint Museum Randolph in the heart of Eastover and Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts — the Mint boasts one of the largest collections in the Southeast and is committed to engaging and inspiring members of the global community.
About the American Federation of Arts
Founded in 1909, the American Federation of Arts is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the public’s understanding of visual arts through international traveling exhibitions, scholarly publications, and educational initiatives.
About the Bata Shoe Museum
Established in 1995 in Toronto, Canada, the Bata Shoe Museum houses one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive footwear collections. The museum is recognized globally for its innovative exhibitions and material culture research, all housed in its iconic Raymond Moriyama-designed building.
For more information or to schedule interviews, contact:
Michele Huggins, associate director of marketing and communications
michele.huggins@mintmuseum.org | 704.564.0826
Clayton Sealey, senior director of marketing and communications
clayton.sealey@mintmuseum.org | 704.534.0186