Art that's a shoe-in
- Source: Global Times
- [13:17 June 28 2010]
- Comments
Shoes with stylized patterns ready for shoppers. Photos: Cai Xianmin
By Tom Mangione
Originality in DIY fashion doesn't stop at getting your own T-shirt made. For some, the quest to cover themselves in unique designs is one that consumes them from head to toe. Literally. For the Shanghai DIY-er there are a number of ways to get shoes made with your own designs painted on them. The Global Times took a look at where in the city you can obtain footwear that expresses your own inner soul.
Get your kicks with paint
In the heart of People's Square, nestled in one of the many underground shopping outlets, next to a custom embroidery shop, a DIY store 手绘天地 (DIYshouhuitiandi, literally DIY Handicraft Heaven), displays a number of canvas shoes and boots all painted with unique designs in bright colors. At a table located near the cash register, Lisa Huang, shop keeper and shoe painter sat painting a leopard print design on a pair of shoes, answering questions and taking orders from customers as they walked in. Two young women wandered around the store, commenting on the wares. Huang told the Global Times, "Most of our customers tend to be women, although we're happy to paint men's shoes as well. The largest size of shoe we provide is 43, so most men don't fit into the shoes we provide. If you need a bigger size, you'll have to bring your own shoes."
When asked what kinds of pictures can be painted on the shoes Huang said, "We'll paint anything you want on the shoes except for pictures of people. If you're not sure what you want, we have designs you can choose from as well. Most of the shoes we paint have characters from Japanese cartoons." In addition to custom paint-ing shoes, the store also paints bags, hats, T-shirts and jeans (the customer is responsible for providing these). Prices for custom printing depend on the complexity and size of the pattern, but for shoes the price ranges from as little as 10 yuan ($1.50) to as much as 150 yuan. Shoes ordered take at least three days for completion.
DIY手绘天地, Hongkong Underground Shopping Street, 9 Renmin Avenue, Shop 115, near Xizang Road South, 6372 8642,
Culture Matters sells a collection of Chinese hipster footwear crammed into a small retail space on Dongping Road, just across the street from Sunday brunch heavy-weight Azul and electro-night club Not Me. With rather casual hours of operation from 3 pm to 10 pm, the store appears to be poised to market themselves to those trundling out of Azul in the afternoon in a postprandial haze, or those gearing up for a night of dancing at Not Me. Notable brands at the shop include perennial favorites Feiyue and Warrior, although this alone wouldn't be of much interest to the DIY fanatic. Luckily for them, Culture Matters also offers a personal-ization service for all of their shoes, arranging for artists affiliated with the shop to add custom designs to any shoes bought in the shop. Again the price of the design depends on its complexity and size, but prices start at 50 yuan. In addition to the store on Dongping Lu, Culture Matters has another location on Nanjing Road West, inside a residential community, although the best selection is at Dongping Road.
Culture Matters (Dongping Road), 15 Dongping Road, near Hengshan Road, no phone, 3 pm to10 pm.
Culture Matters (Nanjing Road West), Lane 1025 Nanjing Road West, near Maoming Road North, 5213 0889, 12 pm to 10 pm.
