Although many sneaker customizers are skilled enough to produce work that can be compared to retail releases, few are given the opportunity to create a full-on collaborative projects with brands. Julian Victor LaMarr Gaines—better known to followers as Juwop (short for Ju Working on Projects)—is living out a customizer's dream with his new Nikes.
Switching things up from his usual custom Air Force 1s, Juwop worked on two lesser-seen Swoosh models in the Sky Force 3/4 and the Vortex. Each were given simple color schemes—white and black on the Sky Force, tan on the Vortex—with the common thread being a "game worn" inspiration. The two pairs are constructed to feel like they've been broken in straight out of the box. Each model also features icy outsoles with Juwop's "working on projects" logo.
More than just a collab on product, the Juwop x Nike collaboration will also include a four-day summer camp in Chicago which will hold programs on art, writing, and more for over 40 teenagers. They'll then hold a pop-up event at Chicago boutique Notre to award 500 "Th-oughts Scholarships," which links kids up with experts for one-on-one mentor sessions.
The Juwop x Nike "Game Worn" collection will be released this Saturday, July 21 exclusively from Notre.
