SOUTHINGTON – Mike Serafino said his business of customizing sneakers with logos, colors and designs began when two of his passions, sneakers and art, came together.
Serafino started about a year and a half ago. He has now made pairs based on sports teams, local schools, movies, games and whatever he can think of. This week, he started working on a pair of sneakers for an out-of-state customer who found them online.
“The current market for rare or personalized and personalized sneakers is huge,” said Serafino.
Serafino, a Southington Public Schools Para-educator, started repainting shoes over a year ago when most things were shut down by the pandemic. He often did art and graphic design projects so he watched paint sneakers videos online and gave it a try.
“The first pair came out terrible. I continued and I continued to train, ”said Serafino.
The process begins with removing the factory finish on a shoe, making it rougher and able to accept new paint. Most of the shoes Serafino works on are white, a blank canvas for any design he seeks to create.
He will paint parts or all of the shoe and when finished, finish it with a clear coat that protects the paint and gives the sneaker a smooth feel.
Serafino has a vinyl stencil printer, which allows it to print any type of stencil.
He made several pairs of Blue Knight shoes for local students, including the Southington High School “S” and a jersey number.
Other designs are more abstract, like a pair of white Nike shoes that Serafino painted beige. He painted the logo black and added red stripes, giving the shoes a lumberjack theme.
Serafino will also recolor the sock lining inside the shoe and add other details, like a new insole with a design. He likes to add subtle details that a customer might not notice until a few days after purchasing the shoes.
“I try to go beyond that,” he said. “I always try to add these tiny little details.”
KJ Holyst, owner of Grail City Shoes and Clothing on North Main Street, said sneakers are increasingly a way to dress and impress. Some of the unique or rare shoes in her store sell for hundreds or thousands of dollars.
He has been asked to do custom work, but that is not part of his business. Holyst is focused on getting hard-to-find shoes in new condition.
“A lot of people like to change color or add stuff to shoes to change them up a bit,” he said.
Serafino said he made sneakers for 5 year olds, 40 year olds and many in between. Different designs take different amounts of time, but typically vary between five and 15 hours.
Serafino said the job could one day turn into a full-time job if demand continues.
“I get messages almost every day,” he said.
Serafino’s Instagram site can be found at https://www.instagram.com/thelacedlodge/.
jbuchanan@record-journal.com203-317-2230Twitter: @JBuchananRJ