Top 11 Custom Shoes - Artistic & DIY Footwear (SUPER GALLERY)

One of the biggest movements in fashion footwear is giving customers the opportunity to customize. Both in store and online personalization are now options being offered by a number of shoe companies. Some have launched contests to encourage customers to engage with the brand, while some people are buying white shoes and turning them into their own canvases.

Take a look at the top shoe design opportunities, from contests to DIY, to professional couture:

Design Your Own Collection - Customized Steve Madden Shoes & Bags (GALLERY)

Release the inner designer in you, lurking just below the surface. Steve Madden allows you to design your own shoes and handbags, selecting the style, heels (for shoes) and color. You can even apply custom tags! Select between cushy boots, crazy high stilettos, wedges, pumps, ballerinas, and even f… [More]

Collage Shoes

For all the fashionistas or people who wish to make a statement through fashion: here is a great idea!  Now you can make your own collage shoes with a little advice from DJ Mean G on Crafster.  Plus, you’re guaranteed that nobody else will have the same design! Photo Courtesy of DJ_Mean_G. [More]

Design a Doc - Dr Martens FREEDM Contest (GALLERY)

Think Dr. Martens are boring? Think you know how to make them better? Doc is listening. They’ve created a contest, aptly named FREEDM, that gives anyone the freedom to express their footwear design ideas. Entries can be designs for short or high cut (8 or 14-hole) boots and can be as wildly creativ… [More]

Design Your Own Sportswear - Puma Footwear Buffet (GALLERY)

Just for fun, and to build on last week’s feature on Nike’s design-your-own sports gear, I decided to take a look at initiatives by the competition. I took a look to see what Puma was doing in this department, and low and behold, it turns out Puma has taken it one step further. The website is fun… [More]

Design your own Sportswear - NikeiD (GALLERY)

If you’ve ever wished you could have your sneakers your way, specific to your taste and comfort needs, then you’ll love Nike’s latest endeavor. Picking up on the growing demand for customization, Nike is giving customers the chance to customize their athletic wear with NikeiD. NikeiD Studio is … [More]

Shoes as a Canvas - Pimp My Flats (GALLERY)

A plain, white pair of tennis shoes provides way too much creative potential to leave them as they come. Case in point, the Pimp My Flats exhibit has some stellar designs, showcasing ordinary plimsol shoes that have been taken to the next level of hip. Each pair of Lazy Oaf shoes has been decorated… [More]

Hand-Painted Unisex Shoes - Neon Cow Skin Shoes (GALLERY)

These shoes were designed with hand-painted leather and were recently showcased at Neon’s winter fashion show. “The Brazilian label’s co-designer Dudu Bertholini has been collecting leftover painted cow skin—some of them rare—from his trips abroad to New York and throughout his home country, … [More]

DIY Footwear - SimpleShoes.com (VIDEO)

This is ridiculous! I think I am going to order a pair. STITCH-IT is the do it yourself shoe. You can buy a pair of shoes that you’ve designed yourself for $65.00 from SimpleShoes.com, or you can check out the book they are advertising, and make them for under $25.00. Remember though, sometimes … [More]

Design Your Own Shoes Part II - Custom Vans

Custom Vans for fifty bucks? Nope not a mommy van, but a shoe. Van’s has developed a whole lifestyle around their brand. By sponsoring skateparks, events, entertainment, they have a very loyal following. On their website you can make custom shoes to show off your personal style. The varieties of com… [More]

Modular Shoes - Customize Color and Studs

The +F50 TUNIT show from Adidas features three interchangable components - the top / color, the chasis and the studs.  The shoe was worn in the World Cup by US National Team players Steve Ralston, Pablo Mastroeni and Pat Noonan.  The question I have is, “are we going to see more customizable shoes o… [More]

Custom Kicks For Marketing - Converse Art Shoes (VIDEO)

Here’s yet another form of guerrilla street art. A San Francisco DJ created a unique business selling customized kicks. Roman Weingartner, aka Romanowski, 38, spray paints white Converse high tops which he buys for $40, and resells for $100 after adding his creative stamp. The new craze is spreading… [More]