Data Visualization Sneakers Put Renewable Energy on Your Feet

Most sneakers have one job: get you to the grocery store without making your feet file a complaint. These ones have arrived with a second assignment. They would like to discuss global renewable electricity. Finally, a pair of shoes that can contribute something to a conversation besides squeaking on the kitchen floor.

The Bring It On sneaker is a collaboration between graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister and ekn footwear, built around the brand’s Tsuga silhouette. Its central idea is delightfully specific: take a data visualization, adapt it to a shoe, and let the information wander out into the world. Your outfit now comes with a topic sentence.

This is still a lace-up suede sneaker, with a low profile and a gum-colored sole. The striking yellow, orange, pale pink, and charcoal combination gives it plenty to say before anyone starts discussing the numbers. You can appreciate the color blocking without becoming the person who brings a projector to brunch.

A data visualization you can actually wear

According to ekn, the design draws on global renewable electricity generation data from the Energy Institute, visualized by Our World in Data. Sagmeister’s graphic has been adapted to the sneaker’s individual panels and three-dimensional shape. That is a much more interesting design brief than picking a fashionable color and calling it something like Motivational Mustard.

The complete data breakdown also appears on the footbed. The outside gets to be the attention-grabber, while the inside carries the explanation. It is a sensible division of labor: passersby see an unusual shoe, and the person wearing it knows there is more going on than a good relationship with yellow suede.

There is a nice little absurdity in putting information under your feet. We spend so much time being asked to absorb another chart, open another dashboard, or read another report. Here, the chart becomes something you can leave by the door. It does not need a login. It does, however, need its laces tied.

The shoe is a physical interpretation of a dataset, rather than a display that updates as you walk. There is no reason to expect live figures, an app, or a tiny renewable-energy ticker in the heel. The appeal is the translation from information into an everyday object. Think wearable graphic design with a very practical method of getting around.

Suede, color, and a surprisingly serious backstory

The upper uses chrome-free tanned suede, and ekn says the pair is handmade in Portugal. The soft-looking surface gives the bright panels a different character from a glossy printed graphic. In the product photos, the charcoal toe section and gray laces help anchor the louder colors, while the orange tongue adds another little jolt.

Bring It On was created in connection with Sagmeister’s exhibition Finally, Something Good. at La Gaîté Lyrique in Paris. The collaboration takes work associated with an exhibition and gives it a route into ordinary life. Instead of waiting for someone to visit a gallery, the object can turn up beside a supermarket freezer full of emergency pizza.

That does not mean every outing has to become a lecture. These work just as well as a conversation starter for the person who likes knowing the story behind a design. If somebody asks about them, you have an actual answer. If nobody asks, you still get the yellow shoes. A pleasingly low-pressure educational arrangement.

Design with a subject: the collaboration centers on worldwide renewable electricity generation.
Information inside: the full data breakdown is placed on the footbed.
Familiar format: the design uses ekn’s low-cut Tsuga sneaker silhouette.
Distinct materials: the upper is made from chrome-free tanned suede.
Made to match demand: production is based on the preorders actually received.

The practical details beneath the concept

There is one detail worth taking seriously before getting swept away by the art-school charm: ekn describes this edition as slightly narrower in fit. That is useful information for anyone whose feet tend to negotiate aggressively with new shoes. Compare the brand’s sizing guidance before ordering, especially if width is usually the deciding factor for you.

Detail	What ekn lists
Model	Bring It On, based on the Tsuga silhouette
Designer collaboration	Stefan Sagmeister × ekn footwear
Upper	Chrome-free tanned suede
Size range	EU 36–46
Fit note	Slightly narrower fit
Production	Handmade in Portugal, based on preorder quantities

The size range runs from EU 36 to 46. The photos show a fairly restrained sneaker shape underneath the unusual palette, so the design has room to do its thing without requiring an enormous sculptural sole. It looks like a shoe you could build an outfit around, rather than an architectural proposal that happens to accept a foot.

The outsole also deserves a look. Its molded geometric pattern has circles, triangular sections, and rows of rounded shapes, giving the bottom some visual interest of its own. That is not a performance claim; it is simply a particularly good-looking underside. Even the part that spends most of its life facing the pavement got invited to the design meeting.

For an art or design enthusiast, the attraction is fairly clear. It combines a recognizable designer collaboration with something usable, rather than another object that needs shelf space. For a sneaker enthusiast, the color and materials may be enough. For a person who loves explaining graphs, this could be a dangerous amount of conversational ammunition.

These shoes have a production schedule

This edition is being offered through a limited preorder period. The idea is to manufacture according to actual orders instead of deciding in advance how many pairs the world might want. That makes the purchase a little different from grabbing an available size off a warehouse shelf. You are planning ahead, not solving tomorrow’s outfit emergency.

There is also a contribution attached to each pair: ekn says part of the retail price supports Future Cleantech Architects. That connects the renewable-electricity subject to an organization working in the field. It gives the project an additional practical element without requiring the sneaker itself to pretend it can solve the world’s energy problems. It remains, very sensibly, a shoe.

The main decision is whether you want this particular combination of wearable art, bright suede, and a slower ordering process. If you love the design and can wait, that can be part of the appeal. If you need immediate delivery or already know narrow sneakers are your nemesis, those details matter more than the excellent backstory.

Key details before you lace up

Bring It On is a Stefan Sagmeister and ekn footwear collaboration.
The design is based on the Tsuga sneaker and global renewable-electricity data.
The full data breakdown is included on the footbed.
Chrome-free tanned suede upper; handmade in Portugal.
EU sizes 36–46, with a slightly narrower fit noted by the maker.
Production quantities follow the orders placed during the limited preorder period.

Bring It On is listed at €300, excluding shipping, through ekn footwear. Preorders run from October 14 through November 15, 2026, with delivery scheduled for January 2027. The brand says 10 percent of the retail price, or €30 per pair, goes to Future Cleantech Architects. Check the current size selection, shipping terms, and delivery estimate before ordering.

Images courtesy of ekn footwear. At last, footwear for anyone who has looked at a chart and thought, “Interesting. But could I wear that to lunch?”

Pros	Cons / considerations
Distinctive design with a real data-based concept	The meaning is not immediately obvious without explanation
Chrome-free tanned suede and Portuguese production	Suede requires appropriate care
Full data breakdown on the footbed	A fixed design, not an updating data display
EU 36–46 size range	The maker notes a slightly narrower fit
Preorder quantities determine production	Scheduled January 2027 delivery means a wait
Contribution to Future Cleantech Architects	Premium price, with shipping additional