Have Custom Sneakers Gone Too Far?

What's your take?

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by Zac Dubasik and Brandon Richard

People have been customizing their sneakers for about as long as they’ve been wearing them. Whether it be switching up the laces, writing messages on the sides, or painting a dirty pair white - this phenomenon has been a part of the culture since day one. But through the years, what began as simple modifications has given way to full-blown makeovers, leaving the new custom shoes often looking nothing like the originals.

The individuals customizing these sneakers have undergone a transformation as well. What started as people altering their own sneakers has become people specializing in customization. A few of these customizers have gone on to be so recognizable that they've developed their own following and even celebrity clientele.

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One of the most recognizable names in custom sneakers today is Dan Gamache, better know as Mache. Mache gained widespread recognition for recreating popular Nike colorways on other sneakers, as well as his own creations for the likes of LeBron James and the UConn Huskies. He was even commissioned by Eminem to create two pairs of Air Jordan 4s (one for Em, one for his manager Paul Rosenberg) to celebrate 15 years of Shady Records.

“I had seen in a magazine like 15 years ago that someone was customizing sneakers and I just kind of said to myself, ‘I can do that.’” Mache said about first customizing. “I busted out some beat up Air Max 90s and some acrylic paint and went at it.”

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Custom sneakers come in many shapes and forms. Some get their unique qualities via paint jobs. Others feature full materials swaps, such as the luxury makeovers Jacob Ferrato, aka JBF, has become known for. His exotic transformations of Air Jordans have made him one of the most sought-after customizers in the game.

“I turned out to be much better with some knives and sewing machines then a set of paintbrushes,” JBF said.

While some custom sneakers have obviously been transformed, others have you doing a double take, and questioning whether or not they were just a sample that never came out. These are the type of customs Jake Danklefs, better know as Dank, is known for, whose attention to detail leaves fans wondering how he did it.

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Sneaker customization received its biggest bump in publicity ever this past winter thanks to the work of Marcus Rivero, who goes by SolesbySir. When the custom cleats he created for Marshawn Lynch were banned by the NFL, sportscasters across the country were showing his all-gold creation.

“In a world dominated with all types of options when it came to sneakers, it baffles me that the cleat world is so black and white,” SolesbySir said. “I kind of embraced the idea of trying to change that. I want cleats to be one day what sneakers are, with tons of options and a way to show your individual style on the field.”

Some customizers are even working to help push the art form further with the next generation of customizers. Devlin Braswell, aka Dee-Nyce, teaches a class to young customizers as well as has developed a sole dye to allow customization options that weren't available using existing techniques.

These five customizers represent a sample of what's possible in the world of sneaker customization. One of the biggest criticisms of custom sneakers is that they simply aren’t legitimate, because they weren’t created by Nike, adidas, or whatever the brand may be. We asked each customizer how they respond to that line of thinking, and they all made a strong case that argument.

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Dank: I say, "So when you buy a car and customize it by throwing some rims and a flame paint job on it, and a new stereo, and air cleaner in it, that makes it fake?” I don’t think so.

Mache: You don't hear it as much now as when we old guys started doing customs a decade ago. Back then, fakes were made in crazy colorways and that's it. It was sacrilegious to paint Jordans in fear of getting called out for wearing fakes. With all the crazy colorways dropping these days, it seems like it's far more accepted now. I feel like the fakes of today are more geared to being as close to actual releases as possible, as opposed to making colorways you can't get. It's kind of scary how good they've gotten to be honest. It's always funny when they make fakes of my customs. I guess that's when you know you've made it.

JBF: I explain to them that it's the same as taking your car in for a bodykit, tints, paint, or whatever. If they can't follow that logic I don't waste anymore breath on them.

Dee-Nyce: Once you own something, you can do whatever you want to it. Nike can’t sue you because you own it. It’s yours now. The problem we are facing now is that China is making high quality fakes and fakes of our customs. For example, there are five

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different fake versions of my Versace Lab 5 customs. They even sell them with my WIDE box with my FBCC logo engraved on the inside. We even have company in China called the "Remade" who make fake Jordans with real snakeskin and advertise them on Instagram as reconstructed kicks when they are not. They are just fakes. They are trying to sell them as customized Jordans because people won’t be suspicious of flaws they normally would be able to point out if it was a fake of a Jordan in the store. The more popular customizing gets, the more we will see Chinese companies faking our art. It’s not cool, but we all saw it coming. So, I can understand why people may be confused now more than ever.

SolesbySir: I guess I laugh, and say “OK.” Everyone has their opinion and I will listen. But no one said I have to agree or even respect it. Comparing customs to fakes is like saying a custom paint job on a Ferrari is equivalent to putting a body kit on a Civic to convert it to a Ferrari. I mean two plus two apparently equals 54 to those people. But hey, spread love not hate. So I wish them well, but I wont be expecting an email or order from them anytime soon.