A sole baked in a waffle iron. An almost sculpted heel from a 3D scanner and printer. A spectacular boot made from reused athletic shoes. The exhibition CUTTING EDGES in the award-winning Schoenenkwartier building in Waalwijk, the Netherlands, explores and pushes the boundaries of contemporary shoe design and making. Recent developments such as 3D printing and reusing old sneakers challenge the existing dynamics of the age-old craft. The exhibition sheds light on how shoes can be made and redefines the way we design, produce and use them. To explore these new perspectives within the Shoe Quarter's "Make Lab," six makers were given access to this workshop: Julien Chaintreau, Peterson Stoop, SKUA Studio, Suzanne Oude Hengel, Ruben Warnshuis, and Tidhar Zagagi. And the results are startling. The exhibition will be on view from May 2 through September 17, 2023.

SUSTAINABLE AND LOCAL ON THE VERRASSING PODIA

Each of the six young but often already successful designers literally has their own "stage" on the second floor of the museum. On that stage we see the designs, pieces and parts the designers have made. These can be samples or complete shoes. In collaboration with the craftsmen of the Shoe Quarter, designers have combined existing and new techniques to arrive at tantalizing insights and surprising outcomes.
These experiments, shown in relation to a selection of the museum's permanent collection, illustrate their views on what a shoe can be: more sustainable, inclusive and local. Through a surprising method of exhibition, visitors get a glimpse into each designer's work and ultimately their thinking behind it. The whole thing is strongly designed by Envisions. This design collective from Eindhoven is responsible for the scenography of CUTTING EDGES. They also design exhibitions for the Textielmuseum in Tilburg and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, among others.