3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum (QOSM) has opened “Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street”, a major touring exhibition from London’s Design Museum, making its Middle East debut in Doha until March 7, 2026.
Unveiled by Qatar Museums (QM) Chairperson HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, 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, the exhibition 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 QOSM president Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulla al-Thani. “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,” he said.
The exhibition explores sneaker culture through two key lenses: style and performance.
The exhibition highlights how innovation and design have revolutionised 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.
“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,” said Design Museum chief executive and director Tim Marlow. “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.”
“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.
