John Kim The Virgil Abloh: The Codes exhibit is officially open in Paris at the Grand Palais, and Sneaker News got to preview some of the footwear samples displayed from the archives of the late Virgil Abloh.
Officially opening on Virgil’s 45th birthday, The Codes acts as an exploration of all the inside workings of perhaps the greatest creative mind of the modern era. With his extensive knowledge of past and profound curiosity of the future, Abloh has risen to become a distinguished communicator of the arts. While many of the unreleased samples on display have been previously showcased at The Codes exhibit at Art Basel in Miami, there were a few new gems to notice for the 2025 showing.
First up is an unfinished version of the ground-breaking Off-White x Air Jordan 1 “Chicago”; this version does not include the transparent nylon panels, Swoosh, stitching, wings logo, and “AIR” text on the midsole. Next is Virgil’s take on the Nike Cryoshot Tiempo; the off-the-pitch iteration of the iconic boot features all the DNA of the The 10 with a clean white upper, black “AIR” lettering, and red zip-tie hangtag. There was also a cowboy boot version of the Louis Vuitton Baskets, the mythical “Canary Yellow” Off-White Air Jordan 1, the unreleased “Bred” Off-White Air Jordan 4, and many more. All of the shoes (and much more) were displayed on the first floor of the exhibit.
On the second floor, visitors were met with a music station showcasing Virgil’s DJ set-up. The rest of the hall was dominated by a full wall of unrealized visions of Nike footwear as well as the groundbreaking “The 10” that truly changed footwear forever. Of course footwear was not the only thing to see; apparel and fashion nuts were treated with looks at an incredible t-shirt archive from Been Trill, PYREX VISION, Off-White, and more.
The exhibit is open now at the Grand Palais in Paris and will run through October 9th. Book your visit HERE.
