Sneakertopia: New LA pop-up art exhibit celebrates all things sneakers

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (KABC) -- Not everyone can remember their very first pair of sneakers, but at Sneakertopia, everyone can bond over their love for sneakers.

"It's not just like a commodity," Steve Brown, Sneakertopia co-founder said. "You put on a pair of sneakers that mean something to you, it changes your attitude, it changes your energy, you feel confident, you do more."

Sneakertopia is a new pop-up art exhibit celebrating all things sneakers. Curator Justin Fredericks said there's something at the exhibit for everyone.

"The kids might gravitate to Under Armour because of Steph Curry and their parents might gravitate towards Jordan's because that's what they grew up with," Fredericks said. "And so, there's that cross-generational bonding."

This immersive pop-up art exhibit features over a dozen artists and it's as much a dedication to sneakers as it is to the history behind sneakers.

"We decided to produce the exhibit in a way that would bring people along the journey of sneaker culture, through all the fields that it influences and has been influenced by," Fredericks said.

"I got invited to create the whole music festival aspect of this exhibition," Man One, a featured artist, said.

Artist McFlyy created sneaker inspired art that referenced different movies.

"Definitely took a lot from 'Back to the Future' and a lot of things that I'm interested in," McFlyy said. "Japanese art and mixing it with American culture."

While artist Tommii Lim drew his inspiration from his love for SpaceX.

"I'm a big fan of Elon Musk and SpaceX," Lim said. "I just finished this installation. It's based on a sneaker head in the future."

Guests can interact with every aspect of the exhibit, whether it's being on court with Serena or Jordan, on an oversized skateboard, or swinging on a giant pair of shoelaces.

"I want people to bond over sneakers and use sneakers as a form of expression," Fredericks said.

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