Art that's a shoe-in

• Source: Global Times
• [13:17 June 28 2010]
• Comments

Hipping up hipster shoes

Don't leave home

If you've got a design for a pair of shoes that you want reproduced precisely or in bigger quantities, working with artists who hand-paint your shoes might not be the best idea. There'll inevitably be variations in the design, and the bigger the order, the longer it will take you to get your shoes done. One way to avoid this is by going through a factory that specializes in making custom-made shoes. SoloDIY, a Chinese shoe manufacturer specializes in making trainers with custom designs imprinted on them. In addition, this business is handled online so you can do all of your designing from home, and have them delivered to direct to your door. Designs can be placed on the side, heel and tongue of the shoe. The only drawback is that any design you give them has to be monochrome and shoes only come in three colors - white, black and pink. Shoes retail for 168 yuan per pair. Be sure your Chinese is up to speed, as while the company does have an English website, the design service (and local prices) are only offered on their Chinese website.

SoloDIY's Taobao Store, http://solodiy.taobao.com/

SoloDIY China, http://www. solodiy.com/