Sneakers have been all the rage of late, from the usual list of footwear giants and staples to luxury designers getting in on the chunky kicks trend, sneakers have become the hottest footwear item for stylish men and women everywhere. To highlight their newfound popularity and surprising design direction (looking at you Balenciaga), popular fashion e-commerce site lyst.com partnered with British x-ray artist and photographer Hugh Turvey to photograph some of the season’s most popular looks and styles, all in a wildly creative x-ray photography series.
Using x-ray technology to create what Turvey calls “xograms”—a fusion of visible light and x-ray imagery—Turvey was able to catch the perfect exposure to reveal the inner construction of some of the season’s most popular makes and models. Sneakers like the Balenciaga Triple-S, Louis Vuitton Archlight, Yeezy Desert Rat, Nike Air VaporMax Flyknit, Gucci SEGA and FILA Disruptor II were all exposed to reveal their uniquely designed construction and silhouettes, including fabrications, soles, and other interior design elements that truly make each sneaker unique.
“We experience life on the surface but visually delve a little further and a new world is revealed,” Turvey told designboom. “These xograms expose the hidden world of construction, materials, form, function, and ultimately design that goes into every sneaker.”
Speaking further of the actual photography process itself, Turvey revealed that Gucci’s SEGA Flashtrek proved to be the most challenging to shoot due to its high-density materials and gem-like detailing.
“I wasn’t expecting to see the level of detail as seen in the gucci sneakers,” Turvey admitted. “Aside from the gems, you can see in the heel of the shoe small pins and a metal shank which are characteristic of traditional shoe construction and demonstrate another level of quality build that I just didn’t expect in a sneaker.”
Of course those details aren’t the only ones to take in. With each x-rayed sneaker comes more unique design elements, all of which viewing through a different lens (literally) provides a whole new perspective on the shoes. But don’t just take our word for it. Check out some of those perspectives from the sample shots below and view the entire series here.
