Look at these shoes, just look at em there just so great with no downside. 3R Customs was founded after Jest3r placed 2nd in the Sole Collector National Finals. For these, the customer wanted a rendition of the Blue Bombed Vandal Highs he did a couple years ago. With the explosive cut outs, and pin stripe patterned base lay, this show is bold where it wants to be, yet the subtle detailing is amazing.
Sweatshop Clothing customized some Nikes last year in honor of the classic horror flick The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. A client requested a Chainsaw Massacre custom of his own, leading the designer to take up this theme once again. The Chainsaw Massacre Nike Vandals 2.0 were featured on Sweatshop Clothing’s Nike Talk post linked here.
The toe and toe box are painted black/red to symbolize the blood splatters in Leatherface’s workshop of horrors. Sweatshop Clothing painted the heel tag red with a black Nike swoosh to stand apart from the flesh-colored paint used on the heel. The middle panel and heel feature flesh-colored swatches unified by red stitching to simulate Leatherface’s mangled visage.
My favorite part of the Chainsaw Massacre Nike Vandals 2.0 is the chainsaw design of the Nike swoosh. Sweatshop painted the Nike swoosh metallic silver to simulate the body of a chainsaw. The chain is created using silver and black paint around the swoosh’s edge, producing the appearance of motion as your eye moves from toe to heel. I think Sweatshop Clothing did a great job building off the first version of his Chainsaw Massacre Nikes.
TTK began collaborating with Identity Footwear and Apparel in fall 2007 to create a four pack of custom Nikes based on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The designer used the AIDS epidemic as a modern representation of the first horseman, Death. His Horseman of Death Nike Vandals were found at the Nike Talk post linked here.
The right shoe is dubbed “AIDS Then” by TTK because it represents the historical origins of the epidemic. The silhouette of five men represents the first reported cases of AIDS in the United States in 1981. TTK drew 1982 to represent the creation of the acronym AIDS by the CDC to explain the disease. At the top of the right sneaker, TTK drew Ronald Reagan along with 1985 to represent the former president’s first mention of AIDS in public.
TTK showed the savage progress of the AIDS epidemic over the last two decades on the left shoe, dubbed “AIDS Now.” He started out with a gray outline of the African continent, which has been affected disproportionately by HIV and AIDS. The number 25.4 represents the 25.4 million Africans in the sub-Saharan region that carried HIV/AIDS in 2004.
The starkest image of the AIDS epidemic’s effect on Africa is the skeletal baby painted just below the collar. This disturbing picture reflects the current generation of babies contracting HIV/AIDS before birth. I applaud TTK’s ability to treat such an important issue with gravity while creating a great pair of customs.
Sole Creations customized a pair of Nike Vandals for a client in Michigan who loves the Chicago White Sox. The result is the Chi-City Vandals, a pair of shoes that would make the biggest Carlos Quentin fan smile. I found these photos at the Sole Creations blog on Customsnkr.com linked here.
The designer mixed the Windy City’s environment with the White Sox motif without creating a clunky custom. The heel on the right shoe features the Chicago skyline at dusk complete with puffy clouds and vibrant colors. The left heel shows the same skyline setting against a white background to show the city’s love for the White Sox.
Sole Creations added the Sox logo to the toe box while writing out White Sox in front of each swoosh. The addition of another Sox logo just above the front of each swoosh is a bit cluttered but this minor issue is overcome by the White Sox player hitting a ball along the swoosh’s path. My favorite part of these custom Vandals is the addition of the client’s name on both heels with the “KAK KAK KAK” simulating the echoed sounds of PA announcer Gene Honda.
Krazy Bear Kicks created a pair of Nike Vandals for an upcoming display at San Diego’s Milo Shoes and Gallery. This gallery promotes sneaker collections from local, regional and national designers to tourists and shoe aficionados. Readers need to know this background to understand the design elements used by Krazy Bear to create these Nike Vandals.
It was clear that the designer was using these customs as a medium to show off his painting, drawing and composition skills. The gray elephant skin print used on the toe box and heel show Krazy Bear’s preference for simple touches. Flashes of color are displayed with the red flames and electric blue panel beneath the Nike swoosh. This submission by Krazy Bear Kicks goes a long way toward showing the designer’s skills and philosophy on shoe design.
These photos were taken from the Krazy Bear Kicks blog on Customsnkr.com linked here. You can also check out the sneakers featured at Milo by looking at the MySpace page linked here.
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.
