Artist Hugh Turvey X-rays 2018’s Hottest Sneakers

British artist and photographer Hugh Turvey has X-rayed 7 of this year’s most hyped sneakers to reveal what lies beneath the seams.

Image: Hugh Turvey

Turvey trained as a designer/art director before studying photography, where he first used X-ray as an art medium back in the 90s and has been using the technique to X-ray a series of everyday objects ever since.

Using X-ray technology through Xograms, a fusion of visible light and x-ray imagery, Turvey’s artwork is different to any kind of sneaker photography we’ve seen before, In the Behind the Seams: Sneakers, the internal structure of each sneaker is revealed, bringing to light the details that are often overlooked by consumers.

The first in its series, the X-ray images are an attempt to delve behind the hype market of sneakers. From frenzied crowds outside Supreme stores to Yeezy sneakers reselling for more than 20 times their original retail price, the new ‘drop’ culture of sneakers has meant that the once niche market of sneakerheads has grown to a global scale. With more than 3 million shoppers searching for a pair of sneakers online every month and more than 40 new product drops a week, the project reveals what it takes for a sneaker to rise to the top.

Image: Hugh Turvey

Though Nike’s Air VaporMax Flyknit and Balenciaga’s Triple S sneakers top the most-searched for in the list, with 638,853 and 1,084,390 hashtagged posts on Instagram, Turvey’s X-ray’s reveal that despite the hype, these sneakers don’t scrimp on design. Nike’s Vapormax took 7 years from ideation to release and is made of over 39,000 components – making it more complex than a high-powered car engine. Balenciaga’s Triple S sneaker is also a true feat of design, taking inspiration from running, basketball, track and field shoes to create its triple sole.

Stylistically speaking though, the most adventurous of the bunch has to be Reebok’s Instapump Fury. Designed with cult brand Vetements, Reebok’s Instapump sneaker is made from logo-covered leather, mesh, and rubber and comes finished with an eye-roll and kissing-face emoji – Vetements designer Demna Gvasalia’s comment on today’s viral meme culture. Though these sneakers aren’t for everyone, they have proved worth talking about, racking up over 55,896 mentions on Instagram.

Image: Hugh Turvey

Though many will argue that the Instapump is just plain ‘ugly’, the same can’t be said for Louis Vuitton’s Archlight. The most futuristic of the dad sneakers, the Archlight is loved by everyone from Jayden Smith to Hailey Baldwin and comes complete with an ultra-high tongue, a high arch design, and a chunky silhouette. Masterminded by Vuitton women’s creative director Nicolas Ghesquière, Turvey’s X-ray images reveal that despite its radical design, the Archlight’s oversized sole brings about both balance and symmetry in a way that most designer dad sneakers don’t. In essence, they look like the work of a luxury designer who has over 20 years worth of experience and knows what he’s doing.

The series, which also includes sneakers such as Yeezy’s Desert Rat 500 and Gucci’s Flashtrek SEGA ultimately proves that a well-thought-out collection or well-constructed sneaker will always be more coveted than a well-marketed but lackluster design.

Check out the full Behind The Seams Sneaker report here and see more X-ray details on the Louis Vuitton Archlight, the Fila Disruptor II and more.