SOLE COLLECTOR: Sneakers

words & interview_Nick DePaula

For Cody Harris, a 21-year-old from Jamestown, California, sneakers and art have been on his mind of late, and he’s beginning to receive quite a bit of attention for his photoshopped fictitious colorways of Nike and Jordan Brand’s most recognizable models. Known online simply as BP, short for ‘Beyond Possible,’ whether it’s a themed illustration of the Zoom LeBron IV or V, or an eye-catching colorway of the new Hyperdunk, Harris continually looks for ways he can graphically enhance the market’s latest shoes. He’s become an expert of sorts in using Photoshop, able to find the perfect balance in settings and adjustments and allowing for a model’s shape and texture to hold true in whichever colorway or material he decides on. Whether he’s adding Carbon Fiber to the Flightposite II, or an asphalt-like texture to the Zoom LeBron IV, notice the way in which the original molding and hue of the shoe is preserved. (I can’t ever get this step right in Photoshop!) A hooper himself, you’ll see Harris stick to basketball models for the most part, and his long term goals include one day becoming Product Line Manager for Nike Basketball, where he’d conveniently work on colorways and themes for seasons of footwear ahead. I had a chance to catch Cody for a quick Q/A to see just how much time he spends on his creations, among other things, and continue on for a little about Cody and a collection of his work.

Nick DePaula: How did you get into sneakers and what were some of your favorite shoes growing up?

Cody Harris: It wasn’t until high school that I started to take an interest in what was on my feet. When basketball season came around, I started looking for something to wear. I remember getting a pair of white/green Nike Air Holistics on sale, and I guess you could say that was just the beginning. Somehow I happened to run across Kicksology.net, started reading reviews, found numerous other sites, and realized there was so much more to shoes then the average person knows. Growing up, I didn’t really care about shoes. When I was in elementary school, my sister got a pair of white Pippen I’s and I thought they were amazing.

When did you become familiar with Photoshop and when did you start creating your own colorways of shoes?

High school also introduced me to Photoshop. In 2003, I took a computer class that taught a handful of different programs, but Photoshop really stood out to me. Every assignment would teach me something new and I would try different things out on my own. Of course the entire time I would browse online and just be amazed by the old [footwear] Photoshop contests. I decided I would try out my own designs, and I have to say they weren’t very good. I continued to work at it and discovered things that worked and things that didn’t.

How much time during each week do you spend creating new colorways on existing shoes?

I don’t spend as much time now as I used to. A few years ago when I was still learning and figuring things out, one creation could take two to three hours from start to finish. These days I might be able to get 10-15 done in hour. Now that I know the program I can think ahead and know exactly what to do for each individual situation. It really differs each week. Sometimes I spend three hours twice a week busting out a bunch of colorways. Other times I get in a drought and struggle to come up with new concepts. I try to spend at least a couple hours a week using the program just to stay fresh.

What are some tricks you’ve learned over time and what advice would you give to people who are just learning the program and its capabilities?

The capabilities of the program are endless. You can do pretty much anything and everything you want. I would definitely suggest you take a class and learn the basics. Once you know how the program works and a few techniques you can start experimenting with different tools. Photoshop is just like everything else, you have to put time in if you want to progress. Some things I will share are the use of layers and blending options, the selection tools, and picture selection. Don’t be afraid to use layers. They open up possibilities that otherwise aren’t there. Blending options can give you tons of different effects that can be altered like changing colors or opacity. The key to clean Photoshop designs is clean selections. I use the polygon lasso tool, zoom in a lot, and take my time. The final and most important thing is the pictures you use. You are not going to get top quality work if you are using small grainy pictures. You need to use high quality pictures that are clear and bright. I have found things that work for me, but you may find something else that works for you. You just have to mess around and find those things.

Your Penny Hybrid was SICK, how did you come up with that concept and do you have any other hybrids you’re working on?

Thanks! There was a Photoshop contest with the theme of “Fusions” so I was very excited to get something put together. I saw pictures of the Penny 1/2 Cent and wasn’t really feeling them, so I decided to do a Penny Fusion my way. The Penny III is one of my favorite shoes and you can see heavy influence from them. I just started taking my favorite pieces of different shoes from the Penny line and that’s what I ended up with. I love the shape of the shoe and everything just seemed to flow together. That isn’t my first fusion, but it is the one I am most happy with. I don’t have any in the works right now, but I will definitely be doing some more in the future.

If you had to pick a top 3, what are some of the PS’s you’ve done that you’re most pleased with?

A top 3 is tough. That’s like asking a parent to pick their favorite child. Some you like more than others, but you still like them all. There is a handful of Hyperdunks and LeBrons that I absolutely love. If I had to pick a top 3, in no particular order; my Lightning LeBron IV’s, Playoff LeBron V’s, and Black/Blue gradient Hyperdunk. There are so many more that I like, but those are the first that come to mind as my favorites.

Where are you at right now in your education, and what are your goals in the near future in the industry?

I recently graduated from a junior college with an AA in Liberal Studies. I am pursuing a degree in Graphic Design, but I’m taking a little break at the moment. As far as the industry is concerned, I would love to be a Product Line Manager or Color Designer for any company. My dream is to be in Nike Basketball. They just seem to be so innovative and creative, and I would love to just see how everything comes together. Right now I am working hard on a few things and trying to get my name out there. I guess only time will tell, but for now I’ll stay on my grind.

Continue on for a sampling of some of Harris’ colorway mockups on some of the most recognizable models of the recent past.

Penny Hybrid:

Penny Hybrid Coloways:

Black Foamposite One:

Purple Foamposite One:

Eggplant Foamposite One:

Pearl Foamposite One:

Carbon Fiber Flightposite III:

Carbon Fiber Pack (Hyperflight/ Flightposite II/ Foamposite One):

‘Asphalt’ Zoom LeBron IV:

‘Rogue Status’ Zoom LeBron IV:

‘Transformers’ Zoom LeBron IV:

‘Powerade’ Zoom LeBron IV:

‘Powerade’ Zoom LeBron V:

‘Oregon Ducks’ Zoom LeBron V:

Ducks Zoom LeBron V colorways:

‘Microsoft’ Zoom LeBron V:

‘Dunkman’ Zoom LeBron V:

‘Ohio State’ Zoom LeBron V:

‘Playoff’ Zoom LeBron V:

Assorted Jordan XV SE:

‘Oregon Ducks’ Jordan XV SE:

‘Infrared’ Air Jordan VII:

Ray Allen ‘Away’ Air Jordan XX3:

‘Clear speckle’ Hyperdunk:

‘McFly’ Hyperdunk:

‘Gradient’ Hyperdunk:

‘Command Force’ Hyperdunk:

‘Jordan IV’ Hyperdunk: