*I decided to make this post specifically for people who are unsure about the authenticity of the shoes that I provide for customization.
"Are all your shoes authentic?"
A question that I have been asked quite a bit. I am pretty sure that many of the people who ask me this question are not familiar with my story and why i'm outspoken against fake shoes. For me it's about more than just the typical "being a true sneakerhead means not supporting fakes" idea. Imagine being a person who actually customizes shoes and having these same companies that make fakes actually make fake versions of designs that you've created. It's basically having someone take your idea & not only try to spin it off as theirs, but make money from it (although with poorer quality). Although part of me though kinda feels that whole "imitation/sincere form of flattery" thing (i'm sure you all know the saying). So yeah, for me the whole "no fakes" thing goes much deeper.
(When bootleggers copied my work the 1st time)
(When bootleggers copied my work the second time)
*(And don't get me started on the 2-3 times I know of that certain people on Instagram tried to pass my work off as theirs.....that's a story for another day)*
But to answer the question for those who may not have gotten it already, all shoes from Ecentrik Artistry are 100% authentic and no I do not use fakes/bootlegs....no exceptions.
Custom process (for those unaware of how it works): Person orders shoes (whether it's something from the online store or an idea of their own that was emailed to me), I purchase shoes from LEGIT retailers (or person can provide their own if chosen), and I customize the shoes.
While i'm at it, I figured I would provide a list of ALL of the retailers I have (and still do) purchase shoes from for customization:
Elite Exclusive: http://shopeliteexclusive.com/
Finish Line: http://www.finishline.com/
Flight Club NY: http://www.flightclub.com/
Kith NYC: http://shop.kithnyc.com/
Foot Locker: http://www.footlocker.com
Lady Foot Locker: http://www.ladyfootlocker.com/
8 One Sneakerhouse: http://www.8onesneakerhouse.com/catalog/index.php
The Sneaker Authority: http://thesneakerauthority.com/
Sneakerhead.com: http://www.sneakerhead.com/
Sole Supremacy: http://www.solesupremacy.com/
Nike (US Site): http://www.nike.com/us/en_us/
Adidas (US Site): http://www.adidas.com/us/
I also found this link pretty helpful as far as finding legit sneaker sites. It's from 2011 but most of the sites I checked are still around:
Official legit website list (via Niketalk)
I think from this day forth, any time I get asked the question, I will just forward the person to this link.
I guess sometimes it gets a bit frustrating that some people don't understand just how much goes into the craft...and not just the painting process either...i'm talking about doing the research for products as well...whether it's finding the right shoe, seeing what concept works best for a particular shoe, and the time and work that goes into producing each pair. I do everything solo and by hand....not with equipment/machinery, no huge staff of employees or team of artists (at least not yet), and I put in time just about everyday....no vacation days or holidays off. Did I mention shipping all the packages, answering emails, editing photos, contacting blogs, updating my sites/facebook page as well?
But despite all of this, I still have a passion for what I do and wouldn't trade it for anything. Thank you to all of those who truly understand & respect the craft and believe in & support what I do.
Elom
Ecentrik Artistry
"Are all your shoes authentic?"
A question that I have been asked quite a bit. I am pretty sure that many of the people who ask me this question are not familiar with my story and why i'm outspoken against fake shoes. For me it's about more than just the typical "being a true sneakerhead means not supporting fakes" idea. Imagine being a person who actually customizes shoes and having these same companies that make fakes actually make fake versions of designs that you've created. It's basically having someone take your idea & not only try to spin it off as theirs, but make money from it (although with poorer quality). Although part of me though kinda feels that whole "imitation/sincere form of flattery" thing (i'm sure you all know the saying). So yeah, for me the whole "no fakes" thing goes much deeper.
(When bootleggers copied my work the 1st time)
(When bootleggers copied my work the second time)
*(And don't get me started on the 2-3 times I know of that certain people on Instagram tried to pass my work off as theirs.....that's a story for another day)*
But to answer the question for those who may not have gotten it already, all shoes from Ecentrik Artistry are 100% authentic and no I do not use fakes/bootlegs....no exceptions.
Custom process (for those unaware of how it works): Person orders shoes (whether it's something from the online store or an idea of their own that was emailed to me), I purchase shoes from LEGIT retailers (or person can provide their own if chosen), and I customize the shoes.
While i'm at it, I figured I would provide a list of ALL of the retailers I have (and still do) purchase shoes from for customization:
Elite Exclusive: http://shopeliteexclusive.com/
Finish Line: http://www.finishline.com/
Flight Club NY: http://www.flightclub.com/
Kith NYC: http://shop.kithnyc.com/
Foot Locker: http://www.footlocker.com
Lady Foot Locker: http://www.ladyfootlocker.com/
8 One Sneakerhouse: http://www.8onesneakerhouse.com/catalog/index.php
The Sneaker Authority: http://thesneakerauthority.com/
Sneakerhead.com: http://www.sneakerhead.com/
Sole Supremacy: http://www.solesupremacy.com/
Nike (US Site): http://www.nike.com/us/en_us/
Adidas (US Site): http://www.adidas.com/us/
I also found this link pretty helpful as far as finding legit sneaker sites. It's from 2011 but most of the sites I checked are still around:
Official legit website list (via Niketalk)
I think from this day forth, any time I get asked the question, I will just forward the person to this link.
I guess sometimes it gets a bit frustrating that some people don't understand just how much goes into the craft...and not just the painting process either...i'm talking about doing the research for products as well...whether it's finding the right shoe, seeing what concept works best for a particular shoe, and the time and work that goes into producing each pair. I do everything solo and by hand....not with equipment/machinery, no huge staff of employees or team of artists (at least not yet), and I put in time just about everyday....no vacation days or holidays off. Did I mention shipping all the packages, answering emails, editing photos, contacting blogs, updating my sites/facebook page as well?
But despite all of this, I still have a passion for what I do and wouldn't trade it for anything. Thank you to all of those who truly understand & respect the craft and believe in & support what I do.
Elom
Ecentrik Artistry
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