At age 13, Chris Hui found a can of spray paint in the garage of his Wisconsin home. As a budding artist he clearly wasn’t going to let it go to waste. He decided to deck out his shoes. After playing Picasso, he rocked his pumped-up kicks at school the next day. They were a hit. From that moment on, whether Chris knew it or not, he was in business.

Editor’s note: This piece is set to appear in our iPad edition of the magazine. To read about more Midwestern masters of fashion, be sure to download it from the app store.

By Sydnie Goodwin

In 2003 Chris finally made it official; he created C2 Customs as a way to sell his handcrafted shoes. But getting attention for his wares wasn’t as easy as when he was on the playground.

“I looked around online and started posting my creations on sneaker blogs to ask people what they liked and didn’t like,” Chris says. “I wasn’t really a shoe person, but it sparked my interest, and I was curious about it. That was really how it was born.”

Using shoes as the canvas for his artful creations has helped Chris make a name for himself, as well as earn a paycheck. A pair of sneaks runs about $300, and Chris has designed over 350 pairs of hand-painted, custom sneakers. His client list includes A-list celebrities like Lupe Fiasco and Carson Daly and star athletes such as LeBron James and Prince Fielder.

“Each project is a little bit different,” Chris says. “Some clientele are very business-like, and I am contacted by Nike or a big-name brand while others, like Prince Fielder and Lupe Fiasco, I actually got to interact with them. That’s my biggest personal accomplishment.”

In spring 2010, Chris was one of six selected to receive Apple Inc.’s “Student Rockstar Learner,” an award that recognizes recipients for their success in both business and academics.

As a senior business major and design minor, Chris juggles school and his booming business. And while he might provide shoe service to the stars, those who go to college with him at the University of Minnesota know him mostly as Chris—a.k.a. the kid that paints sneakers.

And that’s fine with him. He puts a lot of effort into his colorful and one-of-a-kind creations: Each design is custom-made and takes up to a few weeks to complete.

“It’s all me,” Chris says. “If you ask the people I live with, it’s not hard to find time to do this because I enjoy what I do and it comes naturally.”

When asked about his plans for the future, Chris let out a laugh and replied, “That’s the biggest question people ask me, ‘Where’s it going to go?’” Chris says. “Ultimately, my plan for after school is to try and make a living around shoes. And, not necessarily owning my own company, but possibly joining with a bigger company like Nike or Adidas and working with their design team.”

No matter where C2 ends up, Chris just wants to be involved in the industry that sparked his passion. And while the spray paint may have faded from his eighth grade shoes, that’s nothing a new coat can’t fix.

Want your own pair? Check out the slideshow below to preview some of his other styles, and visit his website find your perfect match.

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C2 Customs

C2 Customs

C2 Customs

C2 Customs

C2 Customs

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Posted by

Joe Stych