The Sportsystem District is the protagonist at Lagazuoi EXPO Dolomiti
The first mountain boots to set foot on K2, shoes that revolutionized cycling, prototypes that enabled great performances: the Lagazuoi EXPO Dolomiti tells the story of mountaineering and sports from an original point of view. Located at almost 3000 metres above sea level, this exhibition centre hosts a temporary exhibition of materials from the "Museo dello Scarpone" (Sports Shoe Museum), which collects testimonies and archives from the Italian industrial district that has come to stand for worldwide excellence in the sports shoe sector.
Cortina d'Ampezzo, 22nd February 2022_Behind a ski or hiking boot, there are technology and resources, know-how acquired over decades and a view of the world. This promotes the mountains and a different type of tourism, made up of intense experiences to be lived with the protection of the environment in mind. This is the story told by the new temporary exhibition at the Lagazuoi EXPO Dolomiti, the cultural centre at the upper station of the Lagazuoi cable car at 2,732 m of altitude.
The protagonist of the exhibition “The imprint of innovation: How the Sportsystem District has changed the world of sports footwear” is the tangible and intangible heritage of the Montebelluna district, specializing in the design and manufacture of sports shoes and equipment. An internationally recognized excellence that today encompasses around 350 companies, 120 brands and over 4,500 employees.
From February 26th to June 26th, 2022, the Lagazuoi EXPO Dolomiti will exhibit twelve representative articles - shoes that have made the history of mountain-related sports - belonging to the "Museo dello Scarpone".
Among the exhibits featured are the mountain boots that enabled the famous Italian expedition by Lacedelli and Compagnoni, led by Ardito Desio, to be the first to conquer K2 in 1954, and the first cycling shoes to feature adjustable cleats, an innovation made in 1973 that revolutionized the sector.
Visitors can admire some specimens and discover others through digital material, images and high definition videos. This is the opportunity to admire the first prototypes and learn about the history of mountaineering through a very special interpretation. Because explorers, scientists, adventurers and athletes left their mark on the peaks and are indelibly anchored in the collective memory.
"With its incomparable panorama, the Lagazuoi EXPO Dolomiti is the best possible setting for this exhibition - explains Andrea Parisotto, President of the Sportsystem Association and the "Museo dello Scarpone" Foundation. It shows the intersection of history: the still visible evidence of the First World War, the development of mountaineering, the beginnings of international tourism. Surrounded by iconic peaks, the Lagazuoi EXPO Dolomiti is located in the Dolomiti Superski carousel and in the ski area of Cortina, the first resort in the Eastern Alps to found a ski club, host of major sporting events, such as the Olympic Games of 1956 and soon the 2026 Olympics."
"Lagazuoi EXPO Dolomiti was conceived to bring to the surface the often hidden potential of the mountain world as a carrier of values - sustainability, environment, research and development", says Stefano Illing, creator of the culture laboratory and exhibition centre. “Through this exhibition, we want to honour the excellence of Made in Italy, companies that invest in hi-tech materials, technologies and solutions that bring athletes and tourists closer to the high mountains. With the "Museo dello Scarpone" and the Sportsystem District, we share the vision of the mountain as a laboratory for a lifestyle that opens up new perspectives.”
