Awesome kicks and basketball go together like peanut butter and jelly (here’s how he did it by the way). In fact, some of your favorite female hoopers love showing off unique shoes on the court. For example, check out Dearica Hamby rocking custom LEGOs AJ 35, Chelsea Gray’s custom playoff kicks, and Lexie Brown rocking a custom pair of Reebok JJ IV. In short, today is all about the eye candy! We’re going to take a look at some really cool custom shoe artists bringing their A-game to change the game.
Artists and educators like sneaker customizer The Shoe Surgeon have inspired a whole generation of kick creators. And custom sneakers have surged in popularity. “I think custom shoes are hot now because everybody wants to be different. Everybody wants to stand out and everybody wants to be the one that only has that shoe. Especially when it comes to celebrities, and even just people like us, we want to be different. We want to walk into a place and for people to be like, ‘Where did you get those shoes? How did you get those shoes?’” said artist Katty Customs.
So here we’ll take a look at some of the shoes we just can’t stop thinking about, and learn a little more about the artists behind them. Before we get into it, if you’re looking to stock up on some nice kicks in general, check out FootLocker for classics like Jordans and Air Forces, and StockX, for Nike Low Dunks and more.
Explore some incredible artwork by inspiring artists. From Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle shoes to beautiful florals such as Cherry blossoms, and even detailed portraits of NBA players such as Trae Young, check out all sorts of unique designs by customizers to brighten up your day. And, by the way, if you’re not already following MadeFortheW be sure to check them out for the latest fire on WNBA players’ feet.
Artist Jada Kitna makes stunning shoes. She uses a vibrant palette and does crisp work. She has an eclectic style, and her designs range from Rick and Morty to wavy shapes customs. Jada has created shoes for Sabrina Ionescu, as well as some sweet kicks for Kelsey Plum recently. It’s super easy to submit a request on her website.
Haider Ali is a Truck Artist from Pakistan who also creates gorgeous shoe art. He began doing truck art in January of 1988 and learned the craft from his father. Today his work has been displayed all over the world, including the USA, UK, Europe, Turkey, India, and of course, Pakistan. He’s taken those talents and applied them to shoes as well. His bright, intricate patterns are sure to catch anyone’s eye.
Artist Julia Miaw specializes in portraiture on shoes, and does some of the best work we’ve seen. Her edges are smooth and everything looks realistic. All of her customs are a true work of art with original and exclusive design. Everything she does is hand painted with professional paint, which ensures the durability of the piece – you can even get them wet. You can get a quote for customs on her website.
Stella’s shoes will stop you in your tracks. She creates unique, hand painted and original wearable art featuring animals, sports icons, cartoons, and much more. This young artist is based out of the UK, but does provide international delivery. She extensively prepares each pair of shoes, and uses high-quality leather paints to make her work as durable as possible. Though she suggests gently hand washing your shoes when needed, rather than putting them in the washing machine.
MLCKA decided to become a full time creative at the end of 2021, and we’re sure glad she did. She likes to create custom sneakers solely purposed to serve as a center piece. Her pieces tend to feature cartoons, anime, and creatively make use of the shoe as a canvas. And her work is complex- she nails the details and the layers! Based out of the UK, this artist currently has just one commission slot open.
Tai is a young sneaker artist who loves basketball and creating wearable art. He’s able to do airbrush art, cartoon characters, and much more. We love the bold color ways and combos he choses for his kicks. All his designs are original. And you can easily DM him with a request.
Emma is from Long Island, New York, and is currently a student at CU Boulder, majoring in graphic design. She got started creating custom shoes when a friend asked for a pair, and then her business grew from referrals from there. She’s done a ton of work on Vans, and excels with bringing cartoon figures to life. Her Tim Burton-inspired slides are spooky good. There’s an easy way to submit a request on her website.
Alisa Bluzman, a 21 year-old artist from Latvia, does free-hand painting only, and doesn’t use stencils. Her designs feature nature, portraiture, movies, and so much more. Her style is clean while still bringing the intensity through contrast. We like the way she uses a black canvas for these Batman shoes that go so hard! Lucky for you, she ships worldwide.
Bre, also knowns as Colorado’s queen of shoe art, turns ordinary shoes into one of a kind pieces of art. Her portfolio shows an impressive range of work featuring sports-themed shoes, cartoons, brands (Mountain Dew) and more. Her signature style includes drips that help her work pop off the shoe. Today her kicks have been featured in UPROXX, Paint Wars, Overtime, and more.
“So intricate they’re impossible not to fall in love with, yet so seamless that they look factory-made, the work of Katty Customs is consistently top-notch.” says UPROXX. Artist Nicolle is the CEO and Founder of Katty Customs. She’s been customizing footwear for well over six years. Today she’s opened up a custom shop in Torrance, CA, as well as a flagship store on Melrose Ave. in Los Angeles, CA. And she’s made shoes for Allen Maldonado of Sneakerheads fame, Chris Brown, Sneakertopia, and many other celebrities and events.
Nicolle explained her favorite canvases to work on as the profile of: “A low top, Air Force 1 low, and Jordan 1 high. Those are the perfect canvases for shoes. For some reason, it gives me a lot of ideas on where I could put colors. I’m really into bright and bold colors. So looking at Air Force 1s or a Jordan 1, kind of makes it easier for me to come up with a concept on what to do. Even if I wanted to do some extensive art, I could do it on those shoes.”
The work by Donnell McFadden Brooks, aka Jigga, is out of this world. This artist produces beautiful saturated custom designs with an intense level of detail and a free-flowing stpirit. “Whether he’s dropping a chaotic street art-inspired pair of AF-1s or a simple five-color remix on an Air Jordan, Brook’s designs have a lot of depth that helps make his designs jump out at you like a 3D painting.” says UPROXX. The Cruellas are some of our favorites because they’re a creative playful take on a 90s movie we loved.
Chad Contcolor produces amazing work and the attention to detail on his shoes is crazy. He makes awesome use of the positive and negative space on his customs. Known for his freehand work, Chad’s iconic style of blending surreal and real into the same space provides something new to see at every angle. His sneakers showcase a mix of cartoons, music, pop culture and more. We love both the creativity and the artistic talent!
Artist Jenny Cai specializes in giving white sneakers a splash of color. We love how on many of her customs, Jenny leaves plenty of white space to give her designs some breathe. Her portfolio features gorgeous florals, fun cartoons, and exquisite attention to detail. Her recent submission for @galeriesakura‘s Sneaker Generation exhibit took on the nostalgic theme of beloved Asian food that brings together generations. From traditional Chinese dishes to contemporary desserts, the intricate details and familiar colors of this piece are sure to inspire cravings.
Custom shoe artist O. Worth is masterful with cartoons and works entirely in freehand. Some of our favorites in his portfolio feature 90s cartoons, good for tapping into throwback nostalgia while looking sharp today. His loose style makes his designs feel whimsical. He’s done customs for Miami Heat’s Vic Oladipo.
This Israeli-based brand has existed since 2018, and was founded by Eitan Pippa, who is also the brand’s chief designer. They create vibrant designs, full of life on popular silhouettes by Nike and Adidas. We love the beautiful gradient work they do. Today they’ve collaborated with musicians and international models. Wear these, and you’ll feel like you’re walking on cloud nine!
Created in 2018, Custom Layers bring to life clean designs that let the shoes shine. Their cartoon-work, including SponegBob, Mickey Mouse, and Rick and Morty, is impeccable. And they’ve done some fun glow in the dark sneakers as well. They offer worldwide shipping and you can DM for commissions.
Dac Crew was founded by Andi Ponto (Cokyone) and Kevin Mürz (Aerga Tattoo) in 1999, and was originally inspired by a graffiti crew. Based out of Germany, the creative service company specializes in astounding airbrush work. Their Star Trek sneakers are out of this world.
Based in Arizona, artist Rupsy Banks provides exclusive custom sneakers. He’s designed Prince-themed shoes, shoes for the Cloud9 team, and kicks for youth boxer Julius ”JuJu” Ballo. He even made a Dexter pair and sent it to actor Michael C. Hall. He’s super talented at taking a theme and running with it – bringing to life unique combinations we haven’t seen anywhere else.
This Colombian fashion brand was founded in 2017, after a brother wouldn’t stop asking his sister for weeks to paint him a pair of shoes. Since then they’ve been cranking out tons of custom art. Known for vintage comic book art on shoes, their work is clever and cleanly executed.
Judy Wright is a retired hooper and active custom shoe artist. She’s got incredible range and has done cartoons from Bart Simpson to the Ninja Turtles and the Flintstones, as well as portraits such as the Golden Girls and playful originals such as a twist on Ben & Jerry’s. Her dynamic work has been featured by WNBA player Lexie Brown, WNBA player Elena Delle Donne, Cleveland Browns Fullback Johnny Stanton, and more. Most recently Dirk Nowitzki wore sneakers she made for him in his last home game.
Be sure to follow your favorites to see their latest work, or reach out for something new! By the way, anything you buy on StockX will help fund our site, so thank you so much. Up next, check out pretty basketballs designed by artists.
