If you're one of the few people who've followed my blog for a while you know that i'm a pretty big wrestling fan. However, i've always tended to gravitate more towards wrestling companies that present a more athletic based style with their product. My love of wrestling has inspired me before to do wrestling themed customs, such as My New Japan Pro Wrestling (and Great Muta) themes and my theme dedicated to one of my all time favorite companies, ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling). Well recently I got inspired to do a custom themed after my favorite US based promotion since ECW, and that is Ring Of Honor Wrestling.
I've been a fan of Ring Of Honor (ROH) since it was founded in 2002. Having grown up in Philly (I now reside in Brooklyn NY), I've always had plenty of wrestling to choose from as Philly has always been a hotbed for wrestling since before I was even born. I was a big fan of the Crockett Era NWA/WCW as a kid so I was always more drawn to that more technical and gritty style of wrestling since childhood. Then in the 90s I was a diehard ECW fan who went to all the shows at the ECW Arena at Swanson & Ritner (now known as the 2300 Arena, which is where ROH also runs when in Philly). In early 2001, ECW went out of business, leaving a huge void in the Philly wrestling scene and in the overall scene worldwide. A year later, a unique company named Ring Of Honor would fill that void.
Like its predecessor, ROH developed a rabid loyal fanbase that remains to this day. However, the company would develop more of its own style and image as opposed to being a repeat of ECW but also still have the same focus on the in-ring product. Unlike the "Sports Entertainment" style of WWE, ROH focuses on the athletic side of professional wrestling and presents wrestling in a different manor, even having the option of wrestlers doing the "Code of Honor" before matches which is when opponents shake hands before combat. The company also has a working relationship with New Japan Pro Wrestling, which is Japan's top wrestling company.
As for the shoes, I wanted to keep the design fairly simple, keeping the ROH logo as the focus and standout part the design. The shoe I used to make them was the Nike Air Force 1 High:
Although this theme could've been done on nearly any shoe I specifically wanted a high top shoe for this particular theme. The Air Force 1 high was perfect for me because it kind of gives me a wrestling boot type of vibe with the design.
And just for fun, I got some pics of the ROH & NJPW shoes together (Inspired by their Global Wars events):
Since posting the ROH shoes, I've gotten a number of likes, comments, and shares from fans, members of the roster, various independent talent, and the company themselves. I really had a lot of fun with this project and would love to do more wrestling themed shoes whether themed after the companies themselves or members of the talent rosters.
If you represent a wrestling promotion (any company), are a talent in the wrestling business, or just a die hard fan like myself and want a cool wrestling themed sneaker, boot, etc., contact me at info@ecentrikart.net or ecentrik@yahoo.com. I can also be reached through the contact form section of the website, www.ecentrikart.net/contact.
Elom Bowman
Ecentrik Artistry
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