Featured project

Northampton Museum & Art Gallery commissioned Vertigo to design and build ‘Trainers- A Global Obsession’, a major exhibition exploring the world’s post war love affair with sports related footwear.

The exhibition examines the infatuation we have with everything trainers and the lifestyle that promotes them. Our brief was to first examine the origins of simple footwear designed for sports, before exploring the unprecedented marketing miracle that led to the explosion of trainer culture in the 1970’s.

Northampton Museum & Art Gallery

‘Trainers - A Global Obsession’ explores the cultural phenomenon of sneaker culture, examining how athletic footwear evolved from functional sportswear into powerful symbols of identity, style and global influence. Through iconic designs, brand stories and rare examples, the exhibition reveals how trainers have shaped and been shaped by sport, music, fashion and street culture.

The exhibition featured over 140 pairs of iconic footwear. Each pair carried its own story of innovation, aspiration and self-expression. Dynamic colourful graphics and interactive elements combined to create an immersive and accessible experience for visitors of all ages.

A digital aerial visual from the early design stage, illustrating the proposed layout, graphic language and visitor flow.

Alongside the evolution of design and technology, the exhibition explores the communities and subcultures that elevated trainers to global status. By connecting performance and popular culture, visitors discover how trainers became more than footwear, they became a worldwide obsession.

Basketball Roots, drawing on the visual language of American basketball culture, this hands-on element explores how the court became a global stage for trainer style and self-expression.

Basketball Corner Interactive
A high-energy basketball zone invites visitors to shoot hoops with soft foam balls, celebrating the deep connection between trainers, street courts and global sports culture.

Steady Hand Challenge
Inspired by classic fairground-style games, this buzzer-wire interactive tests visitors’ precision and focus—bringing a playful, competitive edge to the gallery experience.

Share Your Trainer Story
Visitors are invited to write their own trainer story, scrunch it up and throw it into the ‘collection point’. Selected stories are displayed in the gallery, creating a growing wall of personal memories and shared sneaker culture.

Dynamic, large-scale graphics energise the gallery space, while clean, minimal shoe cases allow the trainers to take centre stage. The balance of bold visual identity and simple display solutions creates a contemporary and focused environment.

“Trainers- Working with Vertigo Creative on the Trainers: A Global Obsession was an absolute joy. Both John and Rhod had a knack of anticipating what the project needed and creating an exciting and engaging experience for the visitor.”

- Victoria Davies, Exhibitions Officer, Northampton Museum and Art Gallery