JBF customs remixes retro air jordans with crocodile + python skin

JBF customs remixes retro air jordans with crocodile + python skin
all images courtesy of JBF customs

a clever use of materials can change the way that we perceive everyday objects. understanding this phenomenon, architects, artists, and designers around the world are constantly trying to innovate high heels, rain boots, and even slippers with atypical ingredients. in regards to sneakers, jake ferrato, founder of JBF customs, has developed his own signature style. by reinventing iconic models, he’s gained the attention of ‘sneakerhead’ culture, including the likes of wiz khalifa, iman shumpert, and AJ green. ‘I started painting shoes at 16 (laughs). I’m really bad at painting, so the reconstructions were just a natural progression from that for me,’ he explains. ‘I love working with just about any leather. blending the various textures are what a lot of my work focuses on.’  following this creative passion, he has applied genuine crocodile and python to a pair of ‘air jordan 1s’ for his latest endeavor.

gold is used as an accent to highlight the laces and trim

the customized version combines the casual connotation of basketball shoes with an appreciation for craftsmanship and luxury skins. the natural patterns of the reptiles contrast in density as they have been stitched to articulate every detail. the NIKE swoosh and heel are dressed with sueded croc, while the larger panels such as the back, toe, and lace guard feature the scales of a snake. this combination of organic geometries is brought together by an extensive use of deep red and accents of metallic gold used for the aglit italy laces and lambskin trim.

the tongue displays ferrato’s signature ‘incomparable’ emblem

view of the back with the arch connecting the NIKE swooshes on opposite sides

the clean white midsole has been maintained to decrease the weight of the solid crimson

detail of the natural textures