JBF Customs: Glow in the Dark Custom Nike Blazer

College freshman schoolwork has been hindering the creative work of shoe customizer JBF Customs this past fall. But before you know it his school will probably follow the recent trend and highlight his entrepreneurial skills. College students winter break has been in full effect across the country for at least a few days giving JBF time to get busy in the lab. If you have been following Paint Or Thread the past year you will know simplicity is something we like, making these custom Nike Blazers JBF created through a decon-recon process are just our style. During the day they give off that “I like classic black and white vibe, but I still like to party at night.”

JBF Custom’s Facebook page HERE! Check the rest of the post for an inside look at JBF’s process making these custom Nike Blazers with glow in the dark swoosh.

emmanueLabor: “Real Unoriginal” aka Kaws & Effect Dunks

The media attention U.S. artist “Kaws” is getting right now is insane. But that is an extremely important fact, visual arts have seemed to have taken a dip in mainstream exposure the past ten years or so due to the increase in the media’s attention to “other” current events. This past year has seen more artists in the news such as Kaws and Shepard Fairey, which is great to spread word of actual skilled artists considering how many things are created on computers in this time. Yet  certain “cool” people complain when the mainstream gets hooked on certain “underground hidden secrets”. Why limit exposure to only the underground and “those in the know”? Why sell yourself short by not sharing your work as much as possible? This is planet Earth, art and all subjects should be able to be experienced by anyone who wishes. What does that have to do with these shoes by emmanueLabor? Everything.

Kaws started out as someone that is now known as being a graffiti artist. From those beginnings he educated himself, went to school, and took his skills and ideas to create the empire of art, products, and work we see today. These same opportunities are there for any person with a true passion for customizing sneakers. PaintorThread will be doing our part to help out any customizer that wants to reach the top, all while recognizing how this hobby started and grew over the past 10 years. EmmanueLabor is one perfect example of someone with the passion and respect for the hobby. That is the reason we frequently post his work. Enough talk, on to the shoes.

EL’s design is based off of Kaws’ release last year of denim with glow in the dark accents. The back panels, laces, and stitching all glow. Allowing EL’s placement of the Kaws artwork on the back panels to stick out in the dark.

emmanueLabor’s MySpace

Sole Brother: Social Media Giant Digg AF1

Back in November customizer Sole Brother got a great opportunity to make a run of 6 pairs based off the website Digg.com(if you don’t know what that is….wow…check it!) The result was a extremely clean design with glow in the dark capabilities. More from Sole Brother:

When Matt Van Horn of Digg (the world’s largest social news website) came to me looking for unique custom shoes, needless to say I was thrilled! I’ve been a long time Digg user, and I definitely couldn’t pass up a chance to create some exclusive custom kicks for them. The custom Air Force Ones feature a spiffy Digg color scheme, and a cool glow-in-the-dark “Digg” pattern.  I produced 5 pairs of Limited Edition sneakers for the Digg staff and 1 pair for myself.The founder of Digg, Kevin Rose, and CEO Jay Adelson were gracious enough to sign my pair.Here’s what I designed:

Sole Brother’s Website

Snakeskin on shoes is hard to mess up

Somehow, someway, snakeskin almost always looks good on shoes. Yet Nike definitely has messed up a few times especially on womens releases, while adidas almost always has snakeskin looking good. But what about customizers? Usually they know how to make it right. That is what lakebay2 of the NikeTalk Sneaker Art Forum recently finished up: a pair of Dunks with two different kinds of snakeskin that work. Though do not get too excited PETA members the skin appears to be faux, as in not real, man made to appear like snakeskin. Using brown in and black on the entire upper is accented by a bright yellow and green. Plus in the dark you can see the laces and stitching glow a bright green to go with the sole. The tongue tags are pretty sweet too saying: Bite Me.

More pics after the jump!

Diversitile: Dreamscape I & II

Quietly and slowly over the past year a customizer by the name Diversitile has been making a name for himself the right way. That right way has been through original designs that are fresh and imaginative. Based out of Orlando, Florida Diversitile released his “Dreamscape I” Dunk high last December. Here it is described in his own words:

Theses shoes were just a visual representation of one of the artist’s dreams and was conveyed with the color pattern of a coral reef. The shoes were a fun project from start to finish, simple but crazy.

I especially love the fade on the swoosh. The white around the toe panel is awkward but somehow works. Others obviously liked them as well because Diversitile made a second version with green around the back heel, a brighter coral reef pattern, AND glow in the dark ability on the back panels of the coral reef pattern. Be sure to check Diversitile’s site if you want a pair.

Diversitile’s Website

Diversitile’s MySpace

Dreamscape I
Dreamscape I
Dreamscape II
Dreamscape II

Glow in the dark pics after the jump!