Art & Sole — In recent years the sneaker scene has exploded with limited editions and artist/designer collaborations. These specialist shoes are invariably produced as short runs, using innovative or luxury materials and often have bespoke packaging. Art & Soul is the first book to focus exclusively on contemporary, cutting-edge sneaker design. It sets out to explore and to celebrate the creative side of sneaker culture, showing the best and most original rarities/collaborations and previewing the latest art and design. These are the shoes at the sharp end of sneaker culture—not shoes that can be found in your average sports store. The book also highlights how creative advances on-the-scene have been furthered by a growing number of artists who base their work on sneakers—from sculptures made from dissected shoes, to oil paintings on canvas, and even the customization of the shoes themselves. There is now a huge crossover between sneaker culture and the worlds of art and design.
London-based graphic design studio Intercity comprises Nick Foot, Nathan Gale, and Tu Hoang. Founded in 2004, the company has produced work for a variety of clients including 55dsl, Bush Records, Uniqlo, Five US, IDN, Carhartt, and Creative Review.