The custom sneakers shown above are an example of a design concept gone wrong. This project by Archangel Customs is called the Survival of the Illest and attempts to fuse elements of urban survival onto a shoe. The mess of colors from heel to toe is an effort to evoke feelings of alley walls covered in graffiti. There are plenty of custom designs that use the graffiti concept in a more artful way.

My biggest pet peeve is the bullet casings on the left heel and the gun tag on the right shoe. The casings are practical because they act as a lighter when separated from the shoe.  The gun tag is a keychain and bottle opener that can be kept on the shoe for easy retrieval. I am not a big fan of the use of guns and bullets as a method of evoking street survival but the larger problem is that they add nothing to the aesthetic value of the shoe. These kicks should go back in the lab for a bit of work.