Customizing "CHANGE"

We got a chance to talk to Van -- famous for the Obama custom kicks....With the inauguration coming up, we decided to talk to him and find out a little more about this very talented artist.


Who are your influences?

Well my main influence is Jesus Christ; he gave me the ability to do what I do, and at the level I do it. All the glory belongs to the Lord. Artistically, I'm inspired by classical music composers such as Mozart and lyrically inclined artists like Nas because of the way they paint pictures with musical notes or words. They keep me razor sharp when I'm thinking of my new projects by making me think outside the box in my approach. These people are such creative geniuses; it forces you to elevate your game.

How do you choose the subject matter for your shoes (which ranges from political to sports icons)?

It depends. I generally create the subject matter but sometimes the client has something they want done and I paint it for them. All of my major designs from political to sports icons (i.e: Obama, Darfur, Fleetwood, etc), have all been my independent creations. I always wanted to add substance to my work to give more for people to feed off of. So whatever is on my mind or soul at the time…I release on the sneakers.

What type of paint do you use on sneakers?
I use Angelus mainly but sometimes I mix Createx. I have only used those two brands…if there are more out there I'm ignorant to them.

The Louisville slugger sneakers. Who is the person on the sneakers tongue? Why did you choose him? What technique did you choose to place the image on the tongue? The gentleman on the shoe is Moses Fleetwood Walker. He is one of a few African-Americans to integrate a major league before Jackie Robinson did in 1947. The first is believed to be Bud Fowler. None of these gentlemen are celebrated. In 1883, Walker made his debut with the Toledo Blue Stockings in Louisville, Kentucky. Also the same year the Louisville Slugger bat debuted. So I decided to tie the two together in one shoe.

Which custom design do you feel is your favorite?
My favorite shoe or shoes have to be the ones dedicated to people who lost their lives. The Northern Illinois University shoes in honor of the students who were killed last year on February 14. The other is of a gentleman name Montre Walker who tragically lost his life in a home accident in 2006.

What are you working on now? Or what was your most recent work.
I can not get into many details about what I'm creating now...but just stay tuned to www.myspace.com/van20. In 2009, I will approach themes never explored, techniques never performed on shoes before. So I'm looking forward to the process.