Custom of the Month - May - 2026 | Skinz Time

'We don't make mistakes, just happy little accidents' - Bob Ross

Not every custom sneaker project starts with a blank canvas. Sometimes it starts with a happy little accident.

This month's featured custom began as a pair of Air Jordan 1 Retro 'Shadow 2.0s' that had seen better days. The original suede had been accidentally damaged while trying to clean them, and the owner asked me to cover it up with art so he could enjoy his favorite sneakers.

Challenges like this are some of my favorite projects because they force you to think beyond restoration. Rather than trying to hide the damage, I wanted to transform the sneakers into something completely new.

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The Concept

Since the suede portions of the shoe were damaged, the idea was to cover them up to mask the stains. I decided the best bet would be to use a dark suede dye to cover the damage, and then paint on top of the dye. Since we used a black suede dye, we wanted to go with a dark theme, and a galaxy design was perfect for the new dark base.

Once the suede dye was set, the goal was to create a blue and pink nebula effect with tons of stars, aliens, and flying saucers. It's been years since I've done a galaxy design, but I knew it would be easy to execute with some galactic stencils and my airbrush.

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The Details

Since the suede damage was widespread, I had to use the entire shoe as the canvas.

After laying down multiple layers of black suede dye and allowing it to dry, I used an airbrush and stencil to create a pink and blue nebula effect, and then used a stylus dotting tool to hand-paint hundreds of stars.

Once the background was done, I added two ghostly-green UFOs, as well as an alien on the outer panels to tie the theme together. This helped to create a fun, retro Sci-Fi aesthetic.

Lastly, I dyed the midsoles black to help frame the art.

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Why It's My Favorite

Besides being a fan of Sci-Fi, I was glad I could bring these shoes back to life for my client. It's hard to part ways with a barely-worn pair of sneakers, even if they are damaged. I was able to breathe new life into these Jordans and not only make them wearable again, but turn them into an elevated piece of art.

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Looking Ahead

Every custom project presents a unique challenge, and this one was no different. I typically don't work on restorations or repairs, but this one was different, since it was more of a cover-up than an actual repair. The joy in a project like this is finding a creative solution to a problem and making the customer happy with the end result.

Stay tuned for next month's Custom of the Month. There's always another story waiting to be painted.