YKK Sponsors Shoeart Istanbul 2008. From 1st September - 31st October, Istanbul will be home to a unique outdoor exhibition. Shoeart Istanbul 2008 is an expression of the arts, creativity, social responsibility and family fun. Artists and designers come together with big international brands to create and produce 100 oversized shoeartworks. These giant shoes are displayed in the streets, shopping mails and major attractions of Istanbul.

The creative and impactual medium of the arts combined with the consumer reach of international brands, makes for an influential communication tool. This project was organised by Sinpa A,S and the city municipality. Officially opened by the mayor of Istanbul, this project is endorsed at the highest levels. It represents an attempt by the authorities to raise awareness of social and environmental issues in a creative way. After the exhibition is over all the shoeartworks will be collected for auction and all the money raised will been give to charity.

True to its philosophy - “The Cycle of Goodness” - YKK supports and actively contributes to projects that embody social responsibility as their main ethos.

Together with Turkish artist Hafize Uncuglu, YKK designed and produced three shoeartworks: Combining the concepts of safety with fun, a shoe is transformed into a slide for kids to play on. To express YKK’s commitment to the environment, another shoe has been metamorphosed into a street lamp. Solar panels inside the shoe harness energy collected during the day. At night this energy is released via crystal balls placed in the centre of a giant bow. By utilising luxury “Excella”zippers from YKK, a third shoe expressed the importance of quality in production. Physical embodiments of YKK values, all three shoeartworks can be seen at Kanyon and Akmerkez shopping malls, Istanbul.