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Figge Art Museum Presents Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks Nationally Touring Exhibition Explores the Future of Fashion, Sustainability, and Shared Identity Through Footwear

Davenport, Iowa (June 2, 2025) – Now on view at the Figge Art Museum Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks, a nationally touring exhibition co-organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Bata Shoe Museum. Future Now brings together nearly 60 inventive, sculptural, and high-tech shoe designs that challenge expectations and redefine the boundaries of what footwear can be.  

Blending art, fashion, architecture, gaming, and sustainability, the exhibition includes shoes made from mushroom leather and plastic salvaged from the ocean, 3D-printed prototypes, sculptural heels by Zaha Hadid, and digital designs created for virtual reality. Designers featured include Salehe Bembury, Nike ISPA, Steven Smith, Mr. Bailey, Safa Şahin, RTFKT Studios, and others at the forefront of wearable innovation.  

“Shoes are part of our daily lives, but they’re also markers of memory, identity, and imagination,” said Melissa Mohr, Executive Director and CEO of the Figge Art Museum. “This exhibition taps into something universal—something we all share—and uses it to invite bigger questions about how we express ourselves and where we’re headed as a culture.”  

The exhibition includes loans from the Bata Shoe Museum’s expansive collection of nearly 15,000 artifacts as well as designs from private collectors, working design studios, and conceptual artists. Through form, material, and message, the works on view invite reflection on the future of fashion, identity, and the planet.  

“Innovative design is all around us, and this exhibition makes that point clear. Everyone wears shoes, so it's something universally relatable—but this show invites us to explore the creative thinking behind shoe design and highlights examples at the forefront of innovation,” said Joshua Johnson, Co-Senior Curator at the Figge. “It challenges visitors to think critically about material culture—about where things come from, how they’re made, and what they represent in the digital and physical worlds alike.”  

Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks is co-organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Bata Shoe Museum, and curated by Elizabeth Semmelhack, Director and Senior Curator, Bata Shoe Museum. Its presentation at the Figge Art Museum is sponsored by The Current Iowa and Hotel Blackhawk, Kay K. Runge, KK Runge Associates, and B100 The Quad Cities #1 Hit Music Station. The exhibition will be on view through August 31, 2025.

About the Figge Art Museum:   The Figge Art Museum is dedicated to bringing art and people together. Located on the Mississippi River in downtown Davenport, the Figge is the premier art exhibition and education facility between Chicago and Des Moines. Its landmark glass building houses a renowned collection, engaging exhibitions, and community-centered programs. Admission is free on Thursday nights. 

Exhibition Credit:
The exhibition is co-organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Bata Shoe Museum. 

About the American Federation of Arts:
The American Federation of Arts is the leader in traveling exhibitions internationally. A nonprofit organization founded in 1909, the AFA is dedicated to enriching the public’s experience and understanding of the visual arts through organizing and touring art exhibitions for presentation in museums around the world, publishing exhibition catalogues featuring important scholarly research, and developing educational programs. 

About the Bata Shoe Museum:
Inaugurated in 1995, the Bata Shoe Museumʼs (BSM) mission is to illuminate human history and culture through footwear. Its collection of nearly 15,000 objects is one of the worldʼs largest and most comprehensive collections of footwear spanning over 4,500 years of history. It is housed in architect Raymond Moriyamaʼs iconic, award-winning building in Toronto, Canada. The museum is internationally recognized as a center for cutting-edge material culture research and groundbreaking exhibitions. 

The Figge Art Museum is proud to partner with Kicks for Kids during the exhibition Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks to collect new or unused children’s shoes for local students in need. 

How to Help: 
Bring new or unused children’s shoes to the Figge and place them in the collection receptacle located near the Welcome Desk. Every donation helps a child step forward with confidence! 

About Kicks for Kids:  Kicks for Kids is a local non-profit founded by Brent Hamerlinck, dedicated to making sure every child has access to proper footwear. Working with area schools and fellow non-profit Closet2Closet, Kicks for Kids identifies children who need new shoes and delivers them directly to schools. Last year, they provided 150 pairs of shoes to local youth, and this year they have already donated 250 pairs — and counting! Their goal is to reach even more children across the Quad Cities. Your donation can make a real difference — thank you for supporting this important cause! 

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