Graphic sneaker design, Sole Brother Customer Sneakers
The Goal is Sole
By Liam Brennan
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Graphic sneaker design has become a hot trend in recent years and a Canadian artist is hoping to meet the staggering demand on his new website.
Matthew Francois, a graphic designer from Winnipeg, has started his own online business, Sole Brother Customer Sneakers, at (www.solebrother.ca). The idea is simple, you pick out the shoes, and provide him with your idea and Francois claims he will design and paint any shoe based on your concept, as long as it is technically feasible that is.
Francois' work is first rate and comparable to any major shoe manufacturer around the world. His customizations deliver a fresh and innovative style, complete with his own personalized labels and tags. While this may not seem out of the ordinary when one thinks of an upstart fashion line, the extraordinary element of this company is that it is entirely produced by Francois himself in his Winnipeg basement, with no help or contribution from anyone.
Despite the increasing demand for his custom designs, Francois never intended to sell a single pair of shoes, let alone start his own business.
"Sneakers were becoming more colourful. I liked the styles, but there still really wasn't anything that perfectly matched my own style, or displayed my personality, so I figured I'd make some", claims Francois, a relative newcomer to the field, having taken up painting as a hobby just over a year ago. Despite having limited experience, Francois' creations are inspired, ingenious designs that have grown far more advanced since he first painted his own stripes on a white pair of Adidas sneakers a year ago.
However, it was slow going at first, as he struggled through an agonizing trial and error process to find the best method of preparing the various types of fabric for painting. "It's difficult actually, considering a typical shoe can take 30-40 hours to complete, but I won't sacrifice quality in the slightest," says Francois.
That quality is evident after a quick tour through the online gallery that displays some of Francois' most enthused and intricate designs. Most notable are a pair of Nike Air Force One's, originally solid white, decorated in the traditional colors of the United States Marine Corps. to commemorate the marriage of a soldier. Convention is not an option for Francois, who has even outfitted an unsuspecting pair of standard, white Adidas with a glow-in-the-dark octopus.
There is no set price for a design, but one pair can range anywhere from $200 - $400 US, depending on the intricacy involved in the design and whether you purchase the shoes before customization or have Francois do it for you. Either way, Francois makes it his goal to ensure the process is handled as promptly and easily as possible, having set up direct payments on his website and even offering gift certificates.
"Friends bought pairs but now I'm getting orders from their friends, and strangers that happen to like the shoes I'm wearing," says a modest Francois, despite the fact that orders have started to flood in from around the world of late. As humble as he is, the demand is growing at an alarming pace. Teenagers heading back to school are on an infinite quest to find an original look that will be unlike anything their peers are sporting. Having their shoes customized with whatever colour, image, or design they wish is, to many, a dream come true.
But it doesn't stop there.
Francois has started customizing apparel of late, namely t-shirts and hooded sweaters.
Leather items such as belts, purses, and wallets are also becoming increasingly popular as word spreads about the professional quality that Francois manages to achieve despite his lack of assistance and time between work and school.
"If business continues at the rapid speed as it is now, I'd consider hiring someone to help. But I like having control over the design and painting, which is what I think makes them special as compared to anything you find in stores nowadays," he says. In spite of working a full-time job, Francois sets tight deadlines of only two to three weeks with the hopes of one-day fully committing himself to the venture.
This could prove easier than previously expected, as graphic design stores that have their own printing press, have been popping up throughout the country in recent years. However, Sole Brother is the first online business in Manitoba to fully incorporate all items of clothing and accessories rather than concentrating on one area, leading Francois to believe that the future indeed looks promising. "I started designing because customizing is something I really love to do. I didn't have any plans to start a business until people started offering me money to create something for them. If that continues and business soars then that's great, but in the end I'm just doing what I love."
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