Paint or Thread Custom Shoe Blog » Yoa Knows!

Yoa Knows! Shoes for Google Employee

YoaKustoms — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 20:30:23 +0000

A few months back I did a pair of shoes for a client who works for Google. I didn’t get around to posting them up because I mostly only post personal pieces because I have a much stricter portfolio for what I show the public. I recently found them on numerous sites coined the “Shoeglers” by my client, not really giving me credit for the work, so I figured I’d post them in one of the best places for custom sneaker followers, Paint or Thread. He was actually able to get Larry to sign them so if you Google “shoegler” you can see his picture of my sneakers with the signature.

Just to give you a few background details on the shoes, my client was very particular about the design, even sending me pantone swatches to make sure I got the Google colors just right. The braille you see on the back is actually 3-d and touchable. Each tongue tag has the face of the founders.

So without further ado, here are the real pics.

-Yoa

Yoa Knows! ‘Girls Got Kicks’ September Book Release

YoaKustoms — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 20:32:00 +0000

About 6 months ago, I was asked to be a part of a book that was putting together a group of amazing women involved in the sneaker industry or who just love kicks. I was of course both honored and thrilled.

The book, releasing this month, is called GIRLS GOT KICKS, by Lori Lobenstine.

“GIRLS GOT KICKS documents a movement of women from all over the globe, a growing community brought together by their passion for sneakers.”-Female Sneaker Fiend

Girls Got Kicks will be having a book tour around the globe to promote. The first stop is Harlem NYC at Goliath, which is the book release party I will be attending.

This is a link to the website that will have all the information about the different tour spots as it unfolds as well as a link to buy the book from either their site or amazon.com

http://www.girlsgotkicks.com/

Anyone that is around on Thursday, September 15, come join everyone at Goliath NYC!

-Amanda

Fight Club Custom Nike Dunk Shoes by YoaKustoms

Brandon Laskowski — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 06:22:35 +0000

The first rule about Fight Club custom shoes is you do not talk about Fight Club custom shoes. Well maybe you do not talk about them if they look like a real crap effort by a beginner customizer, but not if they are hand painted photographic-like preciseness by YoaKustoms. Taking the theme of a customer request, Yoakustoms’ details on these custom Nike Dunks just may make you experience some level of insomnia. That sleeplessness starts with the pink Fight Club bar of soap graphic used in the movies marketing campaigns on the tongues with Swooshes of the same color. The outer panels show the 1999 cult classic’s two main characters painted in a grimy green, yellow and red with the left shoe being Brad Pitt as Tyler Durden and the right shoe Edward Norton as the narrator that was a nameless regular guy. The shoes are each a different color: white to go with the narrator’s white collar job background and black to go with Tyler Durden’s dark mysterious life. Realistic looking splatters of blood cover the fronts of all the Swooshes as if they were worn in one of the films bloodshed scenes finishing the look of hyperrealism found with the portraits. Finally if you had no idea who those faces were the inner heels have the bold Fight Club logos sprayed in that aforementioned blood. I encourage you to talk about these.

These are a 1 of 1 custom but to have YoaKustoms create you your own movie themed custom shoes visit her site: YoaKustoms.com

Yoa Knows!: Consumption

YoaKustoms — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 22:01:04 +0000

Consumption is a more recent set of work I’ve done that I was really dedicated to putting my all into. The set (shoes, box, and 16 X 20 canvas) was part of a group exhibition at Vincent Michael Gallery in December. I did not want to post up pictures of the piece until it had made its debut at the gallery in Philadelphia. So without further ado CONSUMPTION….

-Yoa

Yoa Knows! ‘Sneaker’ Gallery Opening

YoaKustoms — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 16:24:10 +0000

This Friday December 10, 2010, Vincent Michael Gallery is hosting the opening of ‘Sneaker,’ a show “aimed to highlight the influence and effects that urban culture has had on fashion, design and contemporary art.” The gallery commissioned a group of artists to create a signature one-of-a-kind collector’s package that includes a customized box, sneakers and accompanying artwork.

There is a large line up of artists from all around the country including myself (Amanda Yoakum), Miss Saigon, PaperMonster, NoseGo, Shawn Bishop Leo, Thomas Buildmore, Cake, El Toro, and many more.

The gallery is also teaming up with Philadelphia’s successful non-profit organization Back On My Feet. VMG is inviting guests to donate footwear throughout the duration of the show, as well as fund-raising for BOMF.

The show runs from December 10-22, so if you can’t make it for opening night, you can check at the show anytime after that.

Here’s the info:

Opening Night-Dec 10, 2010 7-10pm

1050 North Hancock St., Suite #63

Philadelphia, PA

Phone: 215-399-1580
website: http://vincentmichael.com/

Hope to see you there

-Yoa

Yoa Knows!: VANS Customs Culture Project

YoaKustoms — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 19:13:13 +0000

I’ve been holding on on this story for awhile, because I’ve been leaking each shoe at a time, but I wanted to write it all here as a whole. I was approached by Vans to participate in Vans Custom Culture Project. They selected a small number of artists from around the country to create customs for the company to display in their stores around the U.S. I did 5 pairs for them, each very different, but tied together by a strong use of bright color. Below is a front view of each pair, but you can see additional images on each on my website www.yoakustoms.com

1.Sitting Bull

2.HIPPO

3.He Ate My Brains

4. Magritte Revealed

5. Pink Tails

Enjoy! -Yoa

Yoa Knows!: NY Times Update

YoaKustoms — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 19:40:21 +0000

As most of you might already know, I was interviewed by Tammy La Gorce of the NY Times! For those of you who didn’t get to see it in print, here is a link to the article online. It was a very exciting Sunday morning for me going to get that paper. There is a shout out to Sole Collector and the Clash in there….enjoy!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/15/nyregion/15artsnj.html

Here is an pic of the article hanging up in a local starbucks…

And on another, but similar note, I am being interviewed tomorrow by a local tv station about the show…more news to come on that! Wish me luck.

-Yoa

Yoa Knows!: YoaKustoms Debut in the New York Times

YoaKustoms — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 19:12:50 +0000

I was contacted by the New York Times before the opening of my show to do a feature on myself, my company, and the opening of my show at the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey. I was of course honored and thrilled as we put together all the arrangements for an interview and photographs at the art center. The story is scheduled to run this coming Sunday, August 15, 2010. So grab a cup of coffee and the Sunday paper and check out the article!

-Yoa

Yoa Knows!: Spotted on the Street

YoaKustoms — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 23:50:56 +0000

I was sitting outside of a train station the other day when suddenly I saw a pair of my customs walk by. Being that this was the first time I’d ever seen this, my attention was immediately grabbed. I knew the customer I did this pair for, so these were definitely fakes. Not the ideal way I’d like to see my designs strolling by, but I still thought it was pretty effing funny. So I approached the middle aged woman who was wearing them and asked her if I could photograph her shoes. She was confused, alarmed, possibly irritated..haha. But she let me snap a pic on my phone. I tried to explain to her how I was the artist who did the original design and those were fakes made of them. She was confused and just kept saying how hard it was for her to find them. Silly, silly woman…

And while on the topic of fakes…I found a few others of mine that had been faked recently…some more detailed pairs which shocked me. The MAD Hatters have to be about the worst yet, so completely off. The images are reversed on the inside and the outside of the shoe and artwork is whoa. They didn’t do so bad with the Don’t Sweat It though.

Pic of the strolling fakes…

More images at the site: http://www.superdunks.com/nike-dunk-high-mad-hatter-rabbit-blue

http://www.superdunks.com/nike-dunk-high-neutral-gray-fat-rabbit-carrots

-Yoa

Yoa Knows!: Launch of YoaKustoms New Website

YoaKustoms — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:21:01 +0000

So finally, after months and months of planning my new and improved website has launched. A very important person in my life *wink wink* worked with me day in and day out for the last week to make sure it was done before my gallery opening tonight, so I am very thankful for that. So go check it out….

www.yoakustoms.com

Also, just a reminder….TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT! The opening reception for my show is tonight from 6-8pm at the Visual Arts Center in Summit, NJ. Hope to see you there!

-Yoa