Interview with Slip-Offs Shoe Customizer Shauna

Hooray! The first interview for PaintorThread is now complete. Honestly we are just so greatful someone that has had so much success customizing has given her time to answer our questions. Let me type no more: Here is our questions and answers with customizer Shauna from her brand Slip-Offs:

State your name, age, where you are from and or grew up?

My name is Shauna Mae Luedtke, I am 24 years old and was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

What if any art based education have you had?

I went through the visual communications program at the Alberta College of Art & Design and graduated with my bachelor of design.

When did you start and what got you into customizing?

It was originally my boyfriend’s idea.  He asked me to paint something on his plain vans, and from there people just saw his and wanted their own.  Eventually I had a large enough portfolio of shoes to make my own website.

Is customizing a full time gig? If not what pays the bills?

Nope, I work full time as a Graphic Designer at a rad advertising & design firm “Trigger”.

TRAGIKkicks: Summer Of Love

Inspired by one of the greatest music groups ever, The Beatles, and an amazing show in Las Vegas by CIRQUE DU SOLEIL which is inspired by The Beatles, TRAGIKkicks put together a solid custom. If someone can use this many colors and make it attractive then they have a very creative mind in design. Yes, you can say they did not create the patterns or imagery but it is still not an easy task to transport a design from a two dimensional surface to a three dimensional item like a pair of shoes. For more info on TRAGIKkicks check their MySpace.

TRAGIKkicks MySpace

More pics after the jump!

Van Customs: Wolverine Series

Van is the guy behind the most famous Barack Obama customs that are now made by the fake factories in every color ever imagined. Talented painter he is, that can be seen clearly in his run of Wolverine themed Nike Air Force 1s. More info on Van check out his MySpace:

Van’s MySpace

More pics after the jump!

Mizzee: Friday the 13th 4.0 and Retrospective

Mizzee Customs made his first pair last spring for our buddy SneakFiend. 10 months or so later and its an actual Friday the 13th and the movie is released AND version 4.0 is complete. 4.0 is probably my favorite of them all just because of the foggy woods at night scene he recreated. The grey and lightning are dope. Funny thing is though Mizzee says he has never seen any of the movies. I don’t believe that. But if you got a movie themed idea for a custom you want to wear, Mizzee is your customizer for the job.

Mizzee’s MySpace

More pics of Mizzee’s Friday the 13th retrospective after the jump!

Milk: Purple Giraffe

milk1 of the Sneaker Freaker forums recently put up these “Purple Giraffe” adidas Stan Smith hi-tops. Something that today is definitely following our motto :K.I.S.S., seven years ago these would have probably been called crazy in the customizing world. Today they are rather run of the mill, but milk1 still did a great job thats worth a look.

More after the jump!