Image via Complex Original
I have to be frank: I really don't care much for custom sneakers. Give me something off the shelf of the local sneaker store, and the only alteration I'll make to them is when I clean them every so often. Other than that, I don't want anyone to paint or rework what I've purchased.
Sneakers such as the Air Force 1, Nike Dunk, and any pair of Air Jordans have become popular canvases for sneaker customizers, mainly because they're readily available and fairly simple in design. Rarely is it seen that more limited releases have been given facelifts through one-of-one designs. But the adidas Yeezy Boost is a rare exception. It feels like every other day a new pair of custom Yeezys are popping up, and — somehow, someway — it works.
The likes of Mache, The Shoe Surgeon, and even Chris Brown have worked on the Yeezy Boosts, and these are the best customs we've seen so far.
Chris Brown tags up his pair.
One of Chris Brown's most underrated talents is his skills as a graffiti artist. He's previously expressed himself in the form of tagging up his Hollywood Hills home, and he also chose another expensive item to place his artwork on: his Yeezy 750 Boosts.
Brown applied the Graduation Bear from Kanye's Graduation album, first designed by Takashi Murakami, to the heel of the right sneaker and he placed a cartoon depiction of Kanye himself on the left. Even with the attention to detail, this is still one of the more tame custom versions of the Yeezy Boosts, believe it or not.
Maggi gives the Yeezy Boost a premium leather makeover.
The Russian sneaker scene has started to showcase some of the country's love for footwear, but it still feels like a distant place to many people in America. One of Russia's best kept secrets is Maggi, a customizer that's on par with his U.S. equivalents, and he's given the Yeezy Boost one of its most premium makeovers.
Maggi stripped the Yeezys of their grey suede upper and replaced it with a tan leather, reminiscent of the "Net" Nike Air Yeezy 1. This custom also serves as a reminder that there are people with a passion for sneakers all across the globe.
Mache turns the Yeezy into an auburn shade.
Sneaker customizer Dan "Mache" Gamache has become known for his intricate design work that he adds to sneakers, often producing new colorways and graphics in the process. His work on the Yeezy Boost was a little different, though. Given Kanye's appreciation for visvim footwear, the 750 Boost was given an "Auburn" suede look.
While this might not be the most extreme examples of Mache's work, it's something that most people would want to release at retail.
The black pair that Kim Kardashian called fake.
This is the pair that started it all, and is likely the most infamous custom Yeezy Boost of all-time. The reason is because of Kim Kardashian, who called out this pair — customized for Ben Baller by Donovan Cortese — for being fake.
Cortese sent Baller a pair of Yeezy Boosts with a black upper that he dyed himself, and the Internet ate it up. You can read the complete story here.
Someone turned the Yeezy Boost into "Breds."
There's one colorway that's even more popular in sneaker culture than anything that Kanye West ever designed, and it's the black-and-red or "Bred" design that was made famous by the Air Jordan 1.
Modern Vice put this scheme on the Yeezy Boost, but it was done with a twist: Instead of suede or typical leather, these customs were made from python skin. For those that thought it was impossible to make the Yeezy Boost more expensive, this is the way to do it.
Trinidad James ordered a side of mustard.
It's hard to deny that Trinidad James is authentically a sneakerhead. Since coming onto the scene a few years ago and calling out legions of hypebeasts, he's done some beasting himself along the way.
Most recently, James wore a pair of mustard-yellow Yeezy Boosts to celebrate the most peacocking of holidays: Easter. The dying of the Yeezy's suede has become common with this silhouette, but makes this pair standout is how bright they are.
Ronnie Fieg x Kanye?
The resale market for the Yeezy Boost is strong, and the same can be said for anything that Ronnie Fieg designs, too. But his earlier work tends to fetch higher prices on the secondary-market, especially his "Mint" ASICS Gel-Lyte IIIs.
The Shoe Surgeon, who's been on a roll lately with John Geiger, put these two items together and plastered a Yeezy Boost sole on a pair of "Mints." This move might have made some scream, but it's The Shoe Surgeon's daring work that's keeping the world of customizing new ans fresh.