John Kim 
The rise in popularity of sneaker customs has allowed us to look back and vote on our favorite designs. With so many unique creations, it’s tough to whittle down the large group to a solid 8-10 selections, but what’s even harder is to pick just one! We’ve already covered most of the ‘trendy’ customs, like the Nike LeBron 8 and the Air Jordan VI as well as the most popular custom canvases like the Dunk High and Air Force 1, so for this final Sneaker News Battle Of The Customs, we’re picking out the ‘Best Of The Rest’ – a hodgepodge of sneaker customs that fall under multiple categories. We’ve got Air Maxes, Blazers, Foamposites, and even Supras, so check out the collection of twelve outstanding sneaker customs below and vote for your favorite at the very end!
NIKE BLAZER MID ‘WALKING ON WATER 2.0’
Designed by: Diversitile
Very few sneaker customizers can match the creativity and craftsmanship of Diversitile. The Dunk High seems to be a favorite of his, but this Nike Blazer custom he did over a year ago proved that he has no limits when it comes to custom creations.
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NIKE AIR FOAMPOSITE ONE ‘CAMO’
Designed by: El Cappy
The unmistakeable trademark of the Nike Air Foamposite shoe is the glossy nature of the material, but El Cappy, recognized for his Air Jordan customs, adds a dulled, matte finish with camouflage on the upper.
NIKE ZOOM KOBE VI ‘VENICE BEACH’
Designed by: Emmanuelabor
Emmanuelabor has yet to find a niche model for his custom designs, and that’s certainly a good thing. His display of artistry that spans a number of different sneaker models proves that he’s a big player in the custom game, and the fact that he used actual sand from the beach that these customs are named after adds to the beauty.
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NIKE AIR TRAINER 1 ‘WHAT THE ONE’
Designed by: Revive
Revive’s ‘What The One’ theme was applied to the Nike Air Trainer 1, featuring a number of feature details from some of the most popular Nike Trainers in history. These were up for auction on Niketalk with all proceeds going toward a charity to benefit the Haiti Earthquake relief fund.
Designed by: The Shoe Surgeon
Remember when applying high-end prints on Air Force 1s were a huge fad? We’re glad that’s over, but The Shoe Surgeon shows us that given the right selections, a custom sneaker can look downright awesome.
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NIKE AIR MAX 90 ‘AIR TECH CHALLENGE 2.0’
Designed by: MizzeeCustoms
Miz absolutely dominated the LeBron 8 and Air Jordan VI game, but don’t sleep on his Air Max 90s! He’s done a ton of grey AM90 customs like the Pigeons and his beat Busy P, but special notice goes to the Air Tech Challenge version for the colorful gradients, fierce graphic on the rear mudguard, and the signature Nike Tennis logo on the tongue.
Designed by: JBF
Does the ‘B’ in ‘JBF’ stand for ‘Blazer’? JBF’s another household name in the custom sneaker circuit thanks to his simplistic Nike Blazer customs. Arguably his most popular one featured on Sneaker News was his ‘Jet Life’ customs, which featured a green/white colorway and a jet replacing the swoosh. The fact that these debut during the thick of the New York Jets’ playoff run made these even more special.
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NIKE AIR GRIFFEY MAX 1 ‘REVERSE FRESHWATER’
Designed by: Jason Negron
The Air Griffey Max 1 has proven to be one of the most popular Nike Retros in history, and so Jason Negron, well-known for his Foamposite sole-swaps, created his own take on the classic ‘Freshwater’ theme.
NIKE AIR PENNY III ‘DEVASTATOR’
Designed by: Emmanuelabor
Many artist drawn upon memories of childhood for inspiration. For Emmanuelabor, it was those friendly (and deadly) Autobots and Decepticons that made a mark in his younger years, as the Devastator served as the muse for this Air Penny III custom.
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NIKE BLAZER MID ‘SISTINE CHAPEL’
Designed by: Diversitile
The Pope would rock Diversitile’s second custom of this category. Diversitile transferred one of the most historic and iconic pieces of painted imagery onto a Nike classic and created a work of art unlike any other. Except for the Sistine Chapel.
NIKE AIR MAX LIGHT ‘HOMEGROWN’
Designed by: Dank
The Nike Air Max Light almost never sees the light of day when it comes to customs, but Dank, who prides himself in successful transplants of trademark colorways from one sneaker to another, rolled up a fat one with this ‘Homegrown’ version of the AM Light.
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NIKE AIR FOAMPOSITE PRO ‘POSEIDON’
Designed by: Surreal Styles
No, these are the Retro Foams, but clearly Surreal Styles was onto something when he made these! Using the tonal-black Foamposite Pro as a base, Surreal Styles (who made these long before the Retro Foams even dropped) added tinges of gold onto a turquoise upper for an aura that exudes reign over the underwater kingdom.
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