How one grandmother's box led to an exhibition with more than 70 pairs of sneakers

MIES (Switzerland) - The FIBA Foundation is Stepping strong into the new year, with the sneaker exhibition open from Monday to Friday in the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball. It could not have happened without one man's help.

"It all started when I decided to loan the FIBA Foundation basketball items related to my grandmother who was a Swiss National Team player. I took this initiative because I found that all these objects that I inherited would certainly make more sense in this museum rather than stored in boxes," Joachim Dahan explained.

Joachim Dahan shows us the NIKE Air Zoom BB NXT used by Pau Gasol in the
2020 Tokyo Olympic Gamess

Saying the Geneva native is passionate about sneakers and basketball would be a serious understatement. Joachim loaned 25 pairs of sneakers to the FIBA Foundation for the exhibition. Over 25 pairs were added from the FIBA Collections, given to the Foundation by players or Federations during competitions, or donated by famous Hall of Famers.

ADIDAS KOBE 2 SAMPLE (USA, 2001) Left foot of the original prototype signed by Kobe Bryant in 1996. The design of this shoe was inspired by the Audi TT. Kobe signed a contract with Adidas upon his arrival in the NBA for a sum of $ 48 million over 6 years. JOACHIM DAHAN COLLECTION

One thing led to another - now there are over 70 pairs of sneakers for everyone to see at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball.

"This is not exactly a donation; it is a loan of indefinite duration for the moment because of my relationship and ties to the people who worked on the founding of the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball," Mr Dahan said.

PRO KEDS ROYAL TREAD (USA 1953) Keds was founded in 1916 and was later acquired by Stride Rite Corporation. In 1953, the Minneapolis Lakers were equipped with Pro-Keds. Players like Willis Reed, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Nate "Tiny" Archibald, Goerge Mikan or JoJo White wor these sneakers. FIBA FOUNDATION COLLECTION

"It is important for me to share, to exchange my passion with people as receptive and sensitive as me. Then I applied the same reasoning for my personal collection. Over all these years, this collection began to take up a lot of my space and the question of the conservation of my objects was constant."

He says he has always been careful when it comes to the rare objects he owns. Encounters, trips, research - obtaining a collectors item is a serious adventure. And when you're talking about collectors, sneakers aficionados and basketball, there are always sneakers and The Sneakers.

"Without a doubt the original 1985 Nike Air Jordan 1, that's where it all started to pick up steam," Joachim answered the question about his favorite shoe.

NIKE AIR JORDAN HIGH (USA, 1985). The sneakers that changed the world. Nike offered Michael Jordan a $ 2.5 million partnership over 5 years, including bonuses and 25% royalties on each pair sold, and the creation of a clothing line. The sneaker was launched in 1984 with a sales goal of $3 million over the first three years but they make $126 million in the first year alone. JOACHIM DAHAN COLLECTION

For long time fans of the Jordan 1s, today's market doesn't seem as exciting.

"I take a fairly critical look at today's market. For me culture has gone out of the equation and marketing has replaced real passion for the product. I don't follow new releases much and focus on period pieces in order to create a cohesive whole for my collection."

You may think of a picture of PJ Tucker's endless closet full of shoes and his changing of sneakers mid game when somebody says "sneaker collector," but reality looks much different. Joachim Dahan only has two pairs of sneakers, "one for everyday use, the other for basketball," changing them only when his feet start popping through the soles.

"I am concerned about the environment, and about global warming, which is very strongly linked to overproduction and over-consumption, I do not consume a lot, except for the vintage objects that I acquire for my collection."

Over the years, he still hasn't realized his dream of meeting the biggest piece of the puzzle when we're talking about either basketball or shoes, and especially when we're talking about basketball shoes. Michael Jordan, himself.

The first big Dassler (later addidas) shoe promotion was brought by the American track and field athlete Jesse Owens, who set 5 world records wearing Dassler cleats at the 1936 Olympics when basketball was Olympic Sport for the first time.

"I was able to write to different people around him through my network, but I never had the opportunity to see or approach him, or even write to him. Why, because the only dream I have had since my childhood is to shoot with him and have him sign some pieces from my personal collection, which I am sure should not leave him indifferent. Rare are Michael Jeffrey Jordan fans who own items in memory of his late father James Jordan," Joachim's words sound strong even on paper.

Who knows, maybe a successful Stepping strong sneaker exhibition opens some new doors which could get Joachim Dahan and Michael Jordan in the same room.

"That one day I might have the right and the chance to meet him personally, on or off the court. And even perhaps create a special color scheme for one of his models from the Air Jordan line."

The exhibition as a whole provides insights to various sneakers from different periods of basketball. You will be able to discover the characteristics of each sneaker, why they have become a fashion accessory and the history of the amazing men and women who used them; Oscar Schmidt, Uljana Semjonova, Lauren Jakson, Theresa Edwards, Nikos Galis, Drazen Petrovic, Panagiotis Fasoulas, Vladimir Tachenko, Sam Perkins... and more.

In some cases, the sneakers are presented with curious objects of their time so that you can see how cameras, music players or telephones were like; and you'll learn that life is always in motion, changing and evolves in all areas.

DIKEMBE MUTOMBO (NBA, 1991-2009) “Mount” Mutombo made an impact in the NBA, he led in blocked shots for five consecutive seasons and blocks per game for a record three consecutive seasons. His most lasting influence on the game might be his commitment and dedication to improving life in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. FIBA FOUNDATION COLLECTION

You will discover a pair of Air Jordans signed by Michael Jordan himself, but you will also discover a prototype made for Kobe Bryant and the biggest pair you will likely ever see, Dikembe Mutombo’s size 59.

The exhibition will be open until January 2022, make sure to stop by the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball by then.

FIBA