I was contacted by a customer from my home town to work on two pairs of shoes for her son and daughter. Her daughter, I was told is very into peace signs, tie-dye, and essentially everything hippie colored. I figured what says hippie more than an old Volkswagen Bus panted with rainbows, and flowers. So I began my journey to transform a pair of Nike Dunk Hi sneakers into a VW Bus. This process was very different from the way I usually plan my customs. My designs are usually meticulously planned out before they are applied to a shoe, but this time (in an attempt to keep the hippie vibe alive) I simply went for it. As always this custom was done 100% freehand, and I am very happy with the results.
Last night, since I am back home for a couple weeks of summer time, I was invited out to the customers house to deliver the early birthday presents in person. Everyone was pleased with the shoes, which as you know is the only thing that really matters. :)
With 1 month to go before the release of "The Dark Knight Rises" I figured it was time to post these.
I spent a good deal of time "analyzing" the wardrobe/equipment of the Dark Knight before choosing my base shoe and creating my design. Adding to much to these would have easily made them not fit in with the Dark Knight look. Thus I went with a pair of custom laser cut batarangs as Lace Locks to compliment the logo impression on the heel. I was very nervous when burning in the impression, as I have never worked with TUF before, but am ecstatic with the results.
I genuinely feel that these shoes would not be out of place if worn by the Dark Knight himself. :P
Three years ago the passing of a legend rocked my life and the lives of countless, millions around the world. Michael Jackson taken at 50 years young.
I wanted to pay tribute to a man that in so many ways, indirectly shaped my life. However, for The first time in my life, I was creatively stumped. Everything was either too grand, too abstract or way too complicated. I slept on it, and finally it came to me.
I am proud to announce My first Collection Run of Custom Sneakers. 5 pairs to match the 5 decades of MJ's life. Simple, Elegant, One of Kind.
All design elements are 100% free hand brush painted with meticulous attention to detail. Each shoe features a repeating pattern of 4 iconic Michael Jackson Silhouettes. Each shoe is branded and marked with a Serial number denoting it's authenticity.
I am selling these shoes for a good deal more than I usually charge for customs. I'm assuming they will take longer than usual to disappear off the "shelves," but I had to... The repetitive detail work did a number on my knuckles actually. This video shows the 1st coat of paint played at 312x regular speed. 5 hours and 20 minutes in one minute. This video does not show the extra 95 minutes of penciling in the silhouettes, or the 2+ hours it takes to finish the 2nd and 3rd coats. 5 pairs of shoes total approximately 80 hours
After finishing my first bulk release (holding off posting till May to coincide better with my travel schedule) I decided to do a pair for myself. I had a super simple idea a while back, to paint the classic "Birds On A Wire" theme on the heel panel of a pair of Dunk Hi's. I wanted to keep is very small and minimalistic, with the focus on the heel panel only. Similar to what we have seen on the Nike Rayguns, or Pigeon releases.
This is the first time I will be posting a shoe on my site, and selling them per order. If people like them that is haha, I know they wont be everyone's style. Due to their simplicity I can get them done quick and easy, so I can offer something a little more cost effective to my customers.
