In his playful series Sneakers in the Wild, Costa Rican artist Carlos Jiménez Varela places oversized sneakers into real-world environments with an incredible eye for detail and realism.

From misty forests to city streets, each composite feels surprisingly natural.

Almost like these massive shoes were always part of the landscape. Do animals nest in them? Do they have that new shoe smell?

His mastery of light, shadow, and scale makes these surreal scenes feel believable, blending fantasy with a photographer’s precision.

As you might expect, shoe companies and others have asked for his expertise, and he does a broad range of advertising campaigns and specialty scenes for clients.

See more of Varela’s work on Behance and his website.

Images © Copyright Carlos Jiménez Varela

A giant sneaker is placed in a picturesque town square, surrounded by historical buildings and a small potted plant.
A Nike Air Jordan 4 sneaker prominently displayed on a scenic pathway lined with trees and traditional architecture in the background.

It’s almost like these massive shoes were always part of the landscape. Do animals nest in them? Do they have that new shoe smell?

A large Nike Air sneaker dominates the scene above a city street, where pedestrians walk and a cyclist rides by.
A large Gucci sneaker resting on a cobblestone street, with colorful buildings and a cloudy sky in the background.
A large sneaker is positioned in a snowy landscape surrounded by tall pine trees, with a ski lift in the background.
A large sneaker placed in a colorful natural setting with a pond and greenery, under a blue sky with clouds.
A large New Balance 990 sneaker appears in an urban street scene, with colorful buildings and power lines in the background.
A Nike high-top sneaker placed on a textured dirt road, surrounded by sparse vegetation.
A close-up of a white and teal Reebok sneaker situated on a rocky terrain near a waterfall, with a scenic view of water and greenery in the background.
A giant sneaker rests on a busy city street, surrounded by colorful buses and trams, with towering buildings in the background.

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Author

Ben VanderVeen is the founder and editor of Moss & Fog, one of the web’s longest-running visual culture destinations. Since 2009, he’s been finding and framing the most beautiful, surprising, and thought-provoking work in art, architecture, design, and nature — reaching over 325,000 readers each month. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

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