Vintage sneakers, or vintage looking sneakers are blowing up the sneaker world.
With the sneaker industry being as colorful as it has ever been, the hype of yellowed soles and off white uppers goes against this. The cream vintage look is growing amongst people and meanwhile it allows the shoe to do the talking, and not the colors.
In an interview, Hidden ny, run by a New York based graphic designer told Highsnobiety:
“With such an oversaturated sneaker market, the cream sneaker craze is directly influenced by the growing desire for vintage, hard to find sneakers. The natural tones represent tasteful neutrality, the same way the aged patina of a vintage Rolex increases its desirability.”
Nike Dunks, Air Force 1’s, Jordan 1’s and many other old school sneakers are making huge comebacks and are as popular as ever with loads of different colorways releasing. Many of which being in cream or white.
When buying used sneakers from back in the days, that really look worn and are 20 years old, the problem is that they’re terribly uncomfortable.
Wearing a pair of ’85 Jordan 1’s might look cool and is quite the flex, it’s unbearable to really wear without recking your feet.
Here it comes…
Introducing, Philip Leyesa AKA Philllllthy.
Philllllthy has been blowing up Instagram and he can be seen on loads of Instagram fashion and sneakers pages due to his unique sneaker customizations.
With those ’85 Jordan 1’s being so damn uncomfortable, he started turning recently released Jordan’s into shoes that seemed like they released 30 years ago.
Faded laces, chipped leather along with yellowed soles and cream colors. This isn’t just achieved by scuffing them up with some and paper. It takes real craftsmanship that isn’t found very often anymore, with supply chains turning to mass production.
Older sneakers have many scuffs and cuts and scratches. When asked how he goes to work, Philllllthy says:
“If you look at a lot of ’85s, you see a lot of scuffs and scratches. I took a serrated knife, and I used to make scuffs and scratches and peel away the raw leather behind it. Then I’d take the paint I used on the ’85 Royal or ’85 Chicago 1; I smudged it onto the raw leather underneath it. And it gives it that dirty scuffed look, which people haven’t figured out yet.”
He’s not just been noticed by Instagram fashion pages, but also by actor Michael Rapaport, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the NBA’s sneaker king & Milwuakee Bucks forward P.J. Tucker. The craziest one yet: a pair of Air Jordan 1 “Dior”s for the one and only Daniel Arsham.
He won’t customize just any Jordan, because for some there is no need, or they look great just the way they are. An example he gave in an interview was the Union Jordan 1’s, saying:
“I know that’s not worth me distressing, because in 35 years, those are going to look so nice just by themselves.”
Other than Jordan 1’s he also customizes 3’s, 4’s, 5’s alongside some Air Force 1’s and Nike Dunks. Quite the variety for a very skilled man, I would say.
