Doha: Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum (QOSM) opened Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street, a major touring exhibition from London's Design Museum, making its Middle East debut in Doha from 28 October 2025 to 7 March 2026.

Unveiled by Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums, the exhibition traces the design and cultural evolution of sneakers - shoes that began as athletic gear and grew into a global phenomenon shaping sport, style, and identity.

Featuring more than 200 pairs of sneakers displayed alongside photographs, films, and archival materials, Sneakers Unboxed offers an immersive journey through sneaker history. Highlights include rare and limited-edition designs as well as an exclusive presentation of Virgil Abloh's celebrated sneaker creations.

“Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street reflects our ongoing commitment to exploring the intersection of sport, design, and culture,” said Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulla Al Thani, the President of QOSM.“This exhibition celebrates how innovation and creativity have transformed something as everyday as a shoe into a global cultural phenomenon. By hosting this show in Doha, we continue to engage diverse audiences, inspire the next generation, and highlight the universal power of sport as a unifying force that transcends borders and disciplines.”

The exhibition explores sneaker culture through two key lenses: Style and Performance. The exhibition highlights how innovation and design have revolutionized athletic footwear, transforming the way athletes train and compete. It also delves into the cultural impact of sneakers, revealing how they have become enduring symbols of identity, creativity, and self-expression across generations and communities.

Commenting on the occasion, Tim Marlow, the Design Museum's Chief Executive and Director, said:“Over the past 50 years, sneakers have evolved from a sports shoe to the most prominent form of footwear in the world with well over a billion pairs sold last year alone. This exhibition explores a global design phenomenon that has fascinated everyone from sneakerheads to world class athletes, a complex and captivating mixture of technical innovation, high performance problem solving and street-style sub-cultures. I'm delighted Sneakers Unboxed is being staged in Doha, a city whose commitment to design and to the development of world class museums is so impressive and important and which will bring new perspectives to the ongoing cultural saga of what so many of us wear on our feet.”

Sneakers Unboxed in Doha is part of the legacy of the Qatar-UK 2013 Year of Culture, a wide-ranging celebration of shared cultural ties between Qatar and the UK.

The exhibition is presented as part of Evolution Nation, an 18-month campaign honouring Qatar's cultural journey over the past 50 years, since the founding of the National Museum of Qatar. Curated by Qatar Creates, the national movement positioning Qatar as a global hub for art, culture, and creativity, Evolution Nation highlights both the nation's cultural milestones and its aspirations for the future.

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