Custom Art Shoes- What Are They and Where Can I Get A Pair?

Shoes are very personal. Different people are attracted to different styles, colors, etc. No matter what your personal style or flair, who wouldn't love to have a custom, one-of-a-kind pair of shoes? If you're willing to take a walk on the wild side, you just might find an artist willing to customize your favorite pair.

I was recently asked by my co-worker to draw on a pair of white leather pumps by Volatile called the Kathy. As an artist/shoe salesperson, this seems like the ideal offer! And so far (I am only done with the left shoe at the time of this writing), it has been an amazing opportunity. Who knew drawing on shoes could be so fun? Well, it turns out, after a little internet research, there are others who know my secret.

I found a website called CLP Studio by an artist named Lane who will do custom painted shoes in acrylic paint. From Monet to Klimt to Picasso and even as far as Mickey Mouse, Lane has painted some really awesome shoes in a variety of classic and modern art styles. Customers of CLP Studio can decide to have Lane paint an old, favorite pair of shoes or even have the artist purchase a new pair for them.

Another artist named MAG, who is a self-described "urban sneaker artist," alters the classic canvas Converse sneakers - the Chuck Taylor All-Stars, as well as tote bags, denim jackets, and other shoe styles. MAG's work can be seen on his aptly named website Punk Your Chucks.

So what makes my co-workers pumps unique? Well for one, I'm a pen-and-ink artist. Drawing in waterproof, fade proof india ink on smooth white leather is like a dream come true. The ink flows smoothly and the leather absorbs it well with little to no bleeding. It's like the ink was meant for the leather. As a result, the level of detail I can achieve with a pen is incredible. Keep your eye on our blog for upcoming pictures of the finished product, a custom pair of Volatile Kathy's.

by Halle Riddlebarger