Notching up forty years as a successful company is worth pulling out the stops to celebrate, and that’s just what Spanish footwear brand Camper is doing to mark the anniversary of the company’s founding in 1975. Established on the island of Mallorca, Camper’s expertise in shoemaking actually goes back nearly 140 years, when Antonio Fluxà — head of the family who went on to found Camper — sailed to England in 1877 to learn about the new manufacturing processes powered by the industrial revolution.

Life on Foot: Camper at the Design Museum is an exhibition which takes a complete look at the company from its earliest beginnings to its current position as one of the world’s top casual footwear names. Everything from the design process, the carving of the wooden “lasts”, graphic design, and Camper shoes’ production in state-of-the-art factories in the Far East is explained with behind-the-scenes material.

There’s a look at how some of the creative industries top names have collaborated on shoe designs, and the exhibition also explores Camper’s design-led stores and retail spaces — a key factor in the brand’s reputation for creativity. Life on Foot then strides into uncharted territory with some speculative ideas on the future of walking and how technological advances in materials, connectivity and augmented reality might change things for the pedestrian in years to come. Closing date is 1 November.

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Life on Foot: Camper at the Design Museum
Photo, Jill Tate

Camper Milan, by Kengo Kuma