A Q&A With One Of The Voices Of Custom Sneakers: True Blue Customs
Walk me through your design process and how you find inspiration when making custom sneakers.
Typically if my client lets me have free reign, which normally they do…I’ll go in with a rough idea in my head for the particular theme and it evolves from there.
I’m more of a visual artist. Mock-ups rarely end up as the final version.
As far as inspiration, I get that from everywhere. Color schemes, background filler, etc…I see stuff every day that gives me ideas.
Which sneaker customizers do you follow?
Of course — a lot of the bigger names in the business…I’ve become friends with several fellow artists over the years, Astrotorf Customs, Mache, Kickasso, Justwin Customs are amazing artists, and several others as well.
How would you describe what makes True Blue Customs’ special to a desired customer?
We all have our own styles, but I try to focus on overall cleanliness, clean lines, edges, etc.
I want my clients to feel like they get their money’s worth.
I provide an art piece they can be proud to own.
What are trends in the custom shoe and custom sneaker space that you’re most excited about?
Trends come and go like the wind, but I love how big brands and the corporate world are starting to look at what we as artists do as legit art.
For years, I feel like “sneaker customizers” were kinda looked down on by sneakerheads in general.
That’s all changed in the last couple years.
And it’s showing that we are here to stay. Everyone wants something that is their own, no matter if we’re talking about clothing, shoes, automobiles, or furniture. Everyone wants custom.
What is one of the most worthwhile investments you’ve ever made in your custom shoe business?
I invest mostly in quality airbrushes, and creature comforts for my studio.
Even though it’s in my own home, I spend anywhere from 50–80 hours a week there.
I’m an old dude, so I gotta be comfortable, gotta have a nice chair, plenty of lighting.
All things that help me get in the mindset to create.
What has been one of the most worthwhile lessons you’ve learned running a custom shoe business?
I’ve learned that not everyone understands the process, and that’s OK.
What I do as an artist isn’t for everyone.
I try to keep my nose out of the comment sections of blogs, pages, etc. — I keep my head down and grind.
If you do good work, people will notice.
What advice would you give to a first time customizer? What advice should they ignore?
Practice, practice, practice.
And stop buying into the “clout” aspect of this business. Stay true to the love of the actual art, and don’t worry about who is wearing them.
So many young up and comers focus too much on the celeb/athlete aspect.
Yeah it’s awesome to see your work on the big stage, but for me, my day to day regular clients are what makes this business fun. All that other stuff will come in due time.
What are big announcements that you want anyone interested in True Blue Customs customs to know?
NBA is back, and baseball is right back around the corner.
So it’s about to get crazy again.
There is never a slow time anymore.
How can I learn more about True Blue Customs?
Check me out on IG or on Facebook.
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