This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Candy colorways and custom kicks have been strong currents in the sneaker culture for the last five years. The two waves recently crescendoed with the “Sour Brite Crawlers” ASICS GT-II Custom by Dank & Co. Collaborating with Trolli, Jake Danklefs used his talents and creative juices for a tangy take on the retro runner.
We caught up with Jake to learn more about the ideation of this project as well as the labor that went into it. Hear what he had to say about this limited, candy creation and use the hashtag #weirdlyawesomekicks with the sweepstakes info below the interview for your chance to win this rare pair.
Nice Kicks: From the gummy worm laces to the very literal tongue, there’s a lot going on with this “Sour Brite Crawler” GT-II Custom you did with Trolli. How did all the ideas come about?
Jake Danklefs: When they came to me with the idea, they wanted it to be all about the candy, so I took all of the colors from the bag, from the fades of the blue to the black, and put it on to the shoe. We knew we wanted the stripes to be gummy worms, then they came up with some crazy ideas like having the tongue be a tongue and the laces being gummy worms on the tongue. We moved it to the GT-II model [rather than the Gel Lyte III or Gel Lyte V] because it has an actual tongue and then I rebuilt it.
Nice Kicks: The tongues turned out crazy. Then there’s the sugar on the stripes…
Jake Danklefs: When we were talking about what could be cool ideas for the shoe, I asked the question, “What’s the best way to make a piece of leather look like a gummy worm covered with sugar? Let’s cover the shoe with sugar!” I put glue on the stripes after doing the fade paint job, sprinkled sugar on it and sealed it over. They dug it.
Nice Kicks: How’d you make that work?
Jake Danklefs: For the sugar aspect, it was hard to source the right glue to make it clear. I actually ended up using puzzle glue for that.
Nice Kicks: For the lucky winner, are these shoes wearable?
Jake Danklefs: They are wearable. The inside was painted in a fashion where they can be worn and the paint won’t come off. The tongue is the original backing with a lambskin suede, flipped front, and the laces are ready to go, too. They’re ready to be worn.
Nice Kicks: For the hungry wearer, are these shoes edible?
Jake Danklefs: [Laughs] They’re not edible.
Nice Kicks: Lastly, you mention in the video creating customs for the likes of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Wale. Whoever wins these shoes will join that fraternity. What makes this particular pair so special for the winner?
Jake Danklefs: It’s their chance to get a limited, custom shoe from me without waiting nine months and not even paying for it. It’s on Nice Kicks, it’s gonna spread, and it’s a very bright, noticeable shoe, so when they wear it, whoever sees that shoe is gonna know exactly what it is. They’re gonna know it’s made by me and it was made with Trolli.
For your chance to win, retweet a post from @nicekicks and include the hashtag #weirdlyawesomekicks. There’s a limit of one entry per person and all entries must be received no later than 11:59 PM PST on November 15, 2015. For the complete contest rules, click here. Good luck!
