The wave of sneaker culture has been at an all-time high, and a sub-culture — customisation — soon followed close behind. Here are some of India’s go-to sneaker customisers who’ve made a name for themselves and have been building their clientele, one sneaker at a time

SHOES YOUR DADDY

Shoes Your Daddy is the brainchild of Sugandha Tyagi. Her Instagram page is her primary platform to showcase her creativity, and while she works with Converse and Vans, she is equally comfortable with transforming a pair of Nike Air Force 1s, along with other items such as denim jackets. Tyagi even hosts workshops to teach the art of customisation. (Instagram: @shoesyourdaddy)

NAZ

Naz hails from Shillong, and started customising sneakers after he wanted to alter a pair of Jordans to suit his needs. He’s built a strong fanbase, and his designs have attracted clients like Raftaar and Rannvijay Singh. Most of Naz’s work involves painting superheroes, cartoons, or anime characters on to shoes, along with adding glitch and rainbow eŽects to transform your sneakers. (Instagram: @naz_shoes_customiser)

UNHINGED CUSTOMS

Rahul Dev quit his corporate job to pursue something he had always loved — art. Dev’s passion and dedication towards art pushed him to become an artist and soon enough, people approached him and requested for customisations. That was the birth of Unhinged. Dev primarily works on Converse and Vans, but is now exploring more complex shoes, like Jordans. (Instagram: @unhingedcustoms)

NISHANT FOGAAT

Nishant Fogaat goes beyond just customisation. He uses a variety of materials to create unique designs. After graduating from NIFT, Fogaat dedicated his time to crafting some unique shoes from scratch, with a core belief of exclusivity. Apart from that, he’s worked closely with brands, and became the first sneaker artist to work with Nike Asia. Currently, Fogaat still continues his passion for customisation, and is a creative consultant for Puma India. (Instagram: @fogaat)

CHE

When it comes to sneaker customisers, Chaitanya Dixit aka CHE’s name almost ways tops the list. He has a star-studded clientele, which includes names like Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Anand Ahuja, Divine, Rajakumari as well as Wiz Khalifa. Dixit started CHE LABS specifically for customisations, and has worked with brands like Adidas, Reebok, Nike, and Puma. Dixit, one day, plans to design his own sneakers, clothes, and even create original artwork. (Instagram: @chaitanya_dixit)