Everyone knows fashion is an art form, so how about sneakers?

Bata Shoe Museum's new exhibition, Art/Wear: Sneakers x Artists proves that, yes, sneakers are absolutely art.

A growing trend of collaborations between artists and sneaker brands blurs the line between art, fashion, and commerce. The Art/Wear exhibit explores that liminal space with exhibits on the history of sneakers as canvases, graffiti artists and sneakers, artist collaborations, and the rise of customization as an art form.

And of course, visitors will get to pore over countless sneakers from some of the biggest names in art and design. Here are just three that you won’t want to miss.

Keith Haring

You probably recognize Keith Haring’s iconic style, and for good reason. As one of the most famous artists to emerge from the New York graffiti art scene in the '80s, Haring used his notoriety to bring attention to the AIDS epidemic that would eventually take his life.

Haring believed in keeping his artwork accessible, which is why his estate has licenced his art and dedicated all proceeds to support the granting initiatives of the Keith Haring Foundation. His featured shoe is from a posthumous Zara collection.

MSCHF

Take your ideas of art and consumerism, shuffle them around, turn them inside out, and then throw them out of a window. MSCHF’s sneaker designs do just that — symbolically speaking of course.

You might remember the brand’s collaboration with Lil Nas X on the Satan Shoe that had human blood in the sole, but the shoe being showcased at the Art/Wear exhibit is a little more backward... literally. The collective’s BWD shoe is designed to be worn backwards, because, “Life can only be understood backwards, but must be lived forward.” Shoes for thought!

KAWS

Few artists manage to maintain equal relevance in the art world as they do in popular culture, but KAWS walks that balance with ease. KAWS started as a graffiti artist and has since expanded his work to include paintings, sculptures, collectible figures, and of course, some of the most coveted sneakers.

Xs for eyes mark the signature cast and characters that began to emerge in KAWS’ work, including an early sneaker collaboration with DC shoes in 2002, which is featured at the Art/Wear exhibit.

Now these are only a small sampling of the 30+ artists on display; all of whom use sneakers in creative and boundary-crossing ways to redefine what constitutes art today.

If you’d like to hear more on the topic of shoes as art, the Bata Shoe Museum is also hosting its annual Founder’s Lecture on Tuesday, November 5 featuring Dr. D’Wayne Edwards, former Design Director at Nike, designer of Air Jordan 21 and 22, one of Business of Fashion’s 500 Most Influential People, and founder of PENSOLE Academy, a footwear design school based in Portland, Oregon.

Learn more online, and be sure to swing by this captivating exhibit at the Bata Shoe Museum.

Bata Shoe Museum: Art/Wear: Sneakers x Artists

• When: Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Where: Bata Shoe Museum — 327 Bloor St. W, Toronto
• Admission: $14 General admission. Free on Sundays.