I highlighted Hypethetic’s RIZRBack customs on Tuesday to showcase the design studio’s first salvo for Summer 2008. The next custom product from Hypethetic is a special Nike Dunk with a mixture of sleek touches and flowery patterns. Hypethetic says that these are the first Dunks to emerge from their studio and they hit their marks with the Flowpods.

The Flowpods share a raised heel with the RIZRBack but the rest of the shoe rests on the other end of the design spectrum. The stark colors and patterns on the RIZRBack are retired on the Flowpod in favor of a softer color mixture. The pastels and flowers running from toebox to heel bring to mind the sweet smell of flowers during the summer season.

I don’t want to wax poetic in describing the effectiveness of Hypethetic’s design on the Flowpod. The Dunk is a fantastic shoe and the designer makes these sneakers accessible to women of all ages. The Flowpod and RIZRBack may rest at separate ends of the custom sneaker universe but they share the common thread of quality craftsmanship by their creator.

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Mr. Mouf has debuted his first custom sneakers on Nike Talk with significant acclaim from sneaker fans. The young designer breathed new life into an older pair of Nike Air Max 90s by bringing together disparate artistic influences. The end result is an outstanding premiere that shows Mr. Mouf’s promise in future endeavors.

The basic white leather of the Air Max 90s is covered in black cracks that give the appearance of parched desert sand. The toe boxes are left untouched except for a few glancing cracks that act as bold accents. Mr. Mouf added black laces to complete the transformation from old shoes to reinvigorated customs. Check out an overhead shot of these Nike Air Max 90s after the post and keep your eyes out for more work from Mr. Mouf.

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Hypethetic has released several custom Nikes based on the shoe company’s “Be True” online series. The RIZRBacks shown in this post are a take on the future of custom sneakers with metallic colors and small touches appropriate for a time traveler.

The designer covered these sneakers with light gray and silver paint to play on the stereotypical image of a cold, metallic future. The extended heel is designed to protect the wearer’s ankles and add an interesting touch to the RIZRBack. I love the small bit of gold with the Hypethetic symbol attached to the shoe laces because it breaks up the uniform colors of these customs.

I enjoy these shoes because they feature different textures and small color variations. Hypethetic is releasing additional custom sneakers based on the “Be True” series during summer 2008 that I will highlight prior to release.

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A designer with the online handle of desp1 posted these custom Adidas to Fresh and Fly recently. The theme of these custom sneakers is summertime and the designer has succeeded in depicting the cool waters of a swimming pool. The division between the dark blue stripes and the lighter blue back panel shows some sophistication on the part of the designer.

The tri-stripe design as well as the background of the front panel are painted with a dark blue paint that looks like a large island in the middle of the light blue water. Desp1 uses white lines and light blue ovals to make the back panel look like the bottom of a crystal clear swimming pool. These shoes made me think about the warm weather in the months ahead so desp1 has done his job.

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Evolved Footwear’s prolific collection of custom sneakers has a new addition with the Red Bull Dunk Highs pictured in this post. The Red Bull Dunks feature a red/blue/silver colorway that is reminiscent of the energy drink’s tall can. The designer gradually changes colors from toe box to collar without creating artificial lines, squares or spaces.

The Red Bull Dunk Highs feature the brand name in red set against a gray background on the left shoe. Evolved Footwear spent some time developing the bull-fighting scene on the right shoe including the fine outline of the bulls with yellow paint. These custom sneakers have a great look and stand out from other customs involving popular brands.

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TTK is going for a swim with his latest custom Nike Vandals dubbed Aquatic Adventure. These Vandals feature a gray/turquoise/blue colorway that blends the hues of the ocean, dolphins and deep-sea diver gear. The centerpiece of the Aquatic Adventure customs is the illustrations drawn on both shoes.

The right shoe has a large black/white sketch of a scuba diver searching for hidden treasure in the ocean. TTK added a seductive mermaid on the outside part of the left shoe to complete the underwater story. Small touches like a TTK symbol and blue shoe laces lend to the artistry of Aquatic Adventure. A drawing of a diver and a mermaid could have gone horribly wrong in the hands of an overreaching amateur. The illustrations are sharp and TTK created a fantastic custom from heel to toe.

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Evolved Footwear has a few custom sneakers that have just hit their eBay store this week. One of the sneakers that got my attention right away was the Nike Air Stabs shown above. These customs are impressive because they blend two strong colors and feature great craftsmanship.

The base layer is yellow leather including an untouched Nike swoosh that stands out from the solid blue Air Stab symbol and laces. Evolved Footwear took time and great care in applying different sized blue spots on the yellow background. This intricate design would have failed miserably if the designer was careless about leaving white spaces and the swoosh clear of blue paint.

You can search for Evolved Footwear on eBay to see some of the other designs currently on sale. These sneakers are flashy compared to other works by the designer but they sit comfortably on the side of good taste in custom shoes.

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The Nike Dunk Lows shown above are the second customs made by the brother of Sole Affection’s designer. The picture shows a pair of colorful Dunks obscured a bit by a multi-colored hat purchased by a New York street vendor. This hat acted as the inspiration for a great sophomore effort by a promising designer who felt that the purchase resembled Woody Harrelson’s hat in “White Men Can’t Jump.”

It would be easy for a sneaker fan to say that the colors are a jumbled mess. I think that these custom Nike Dunks fit well with the original inspiration. The colors are separated well and the designer has a fine touch when placing two opposing colors next to each other. I am impressed by the daring aesthetic used by the designer in translating the hat to a respected shoe like the Nike Dunk.

Sole Affection’s designer should be proud of his little brother for his exemplary work on the White Men Can’t Jump Nike Dunks posted here. Check out additional pictures after this post if you want to see the toe box and panels without the hat in the way. I have looked at these shoes several times and I have grown more comfortable with them with each viewing.

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I came across the Wolfhog Dunk customs shown above when searching through the work of Ras Martin, aka RastheBuilder. The designer’s artistic sensibility brings to mind the original cartoon adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit.” The Wolfhog depicted on the outer part of the left shoe looks like it will leap out from the leather. The outer right side has an image of a part-wolf, part-human carrying a large sword that looks like part of a transformation from man to beast. The deliberate brush strokes and colors used on every image shows the care given to these custom sneakers.

The detail on the cartoon figures is aided by Martin’s creative use of the Nike swoosh. A portion of each swoosh is used on the wolfhog’s tusks and the giant sword of the partially transformed man. This inclusion of original elements of the shoe into an intricate design is the hallmark of a great customizer. I suggest checking out RastheBuilder’s MySpace page linked here to compare the Wolfhog Dunks to other works.

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TTK has created some new customs that turn a pair of plain white Dunks into an intriguing piece of art. The designer used periwinkle and gold as the accents against the white leather background. The toe boxes and back panels feature a gray/black backdrop with purple spots that creates the look of a city street.

I know that a few readers of a past TTK review did not care for my opinions on some of his work. These custom Dunks are a step beyond the orange Tony the Tiger shoes TTK created in one of my past reviews. The colors are used in moderation but the design is still exciting and fresh while the Tony the Tiger shoes went overboard with design elements. Every custom sneaker can’t be a winner but TTK has showed off his skills with the Radigold Nike Dunks pictured here.

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Fresh and Fly Customs has created a pair of custom Nikes that utilize purple, black and gold in simple patterns. The toe box and middle panel are given royal purple paint that helps the gold Nike swoosh stand out for observers. The gold swoosh runs back to a deposit of gold paint on the heel tag. Fresh and Fly used matching purple paint on the Nike Air symbol on the heel to complete the effect.

I like the work presented by Fresh and Fly Customs because it is clean cut. The glimmer of the gold paint and the cool nature of the purple hue are left to their own devices without excessive flourishes and design elements. I look forward to seeing more work from Fresh and Fly Customs in the future.

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The Nike Dunk Lows pictured above were created by Chris Hui and posted on Nike Talk today. The “Tormenta” throws a few curve balls at sneaker fans who like crisp, clean colors. A mixture of gray/black camo and light gray hash marks are applied on the front of the shoe for a fantastic effect. A splash of color in the form of light red paint on the collar prevents these Dunk Lows from falling into boring territory.

The black-on-black colors used for the back panel and Nike swoosh leave a bit to be desired. I am not a fan of using the same color for two overlapping design elements especially on a hot shoe like this. The overall look of the “Tormenta” is impressive despite this small design flaw.

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