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Where has customizing taken you so far?
I?ve had the chance to meet so many people I probably never would have. I?ve made decade long friendships through it. It?s taken me to cities that I doubt I would have ever seen in person. To be able to relate to people through the shoes I make is pretty awesome.
Where are you hoping it leads?
I hope to someday have a shoe concept mass-produced. If not, a project with a major brand, (i.e. Nike x Stash, adidas x Jeremy Scott, or Reebok x Swizz Beats), then a shoe through my own brand. Guys like Methamphibian, SBTG, Remix da Kickz, and Sekure D have done shoes with brands, but no customizer has ever had their own sneaker brand.
What place do customs hold in the sneaker culture?
I feel like sneakers are a subculture, and customizing is a subculture within that. Part of why some sneaker heads are into rare, hard to find shoes, is because it sets them apart from other sneaker heads. They like to be unique. Some like conveying messages with their footwear choices, and some just want to look fresh. A customized sneaker can encompass all of that. It?s evident with brands making high-end models available to be customized like the Kobe VI or Jordan 2011 on NikeID, as well as the Bespoke program. More and more you see customs popping up at sneaker events, in the collections of well-respected sneaker collections, and on sneaker sites like this one.
What advice would you give someone interested in customizing?
The best way to learn is to do. When I first started, I BUTCHERED a ton of shoes. Some people think I still butcher them. But I learned through trial and error. I did a ton of research, and learned from my mistakes. When I was painting exclusively, I found Meth?s tutorial and followed that until I found better paint options, and brushes that suited me. I joined message boards and built with other customizers. When I started recons, I took a pair of shoes apart just to see how they went back together. I jumped in with both feet, and didn?t give up until I got to where I wanted to be. I watched videos of shoes being made, and asked shoe repair shops a ton of questions. I went and got the knowledge.
How can prospective clients contact you?
E-mail: [email protected]
Twitter: @emmanuelabor
Facebook: Emmanuelabor
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