A Q&A With One Of The Voices Of Custom Sneakers: Brennan Bizon
My name is Brennan Bizon and I started Bizon Customs, a custom sneaker company, about seven years ago.
I make custom hand painted sneakers and footwear for people all over the world, including some athletes, musicians, and celebrities. I started when I was 15 and it has pretty much been my full time ever since.
Read on to learn more about Brennan’s story and tips for making custom sneakers!
Why did you want to collaborate with SNEAKGOD?
Drew is my guy and he has really been a big supporter of mine for the past several years.
When I was living in a dorm in college, Drew and his friend Dan came and shot a mini-documentary about my work and I have been in touch with Drew ever since.
He is a creative like me in many ways and it’s been great to work with him on a variety of things, so when he approached me about doing some quality merch to help grow my brand image it was a no-brainer.
His interest in the custom sneaker space and approach to it is just special to me because he is always trying to find a way to push the boundaries of what a custom sneaker should be.
He balances business and care for the craft, and that is huge for me personally.
I guess I shouldn’t speak too much about some of the ideas we have talked about but I am excited for the future of SNEAKGOD and what we can do together.
Walk me through your design process and how you find inspiration when making custom sneakers.
I stare at the shoes for like six hours before I even paint them. No really, like, I will stare at them for hours sometimes and lay everything out in my head before I even start to paint.
I think I find a lot of inspiration in music, for one. Just simple things like album cover design help me figure out how to convey a larger idea with as little extra noise as possible.
I try to stay on top of sneaker culture trends because they largely inform what the custom sneaker space looks like.
That being said, I always try to be original with my takes. The world only needs so many Off-White and cartoon line AF1s.
Speaking in regards to this merch drop, we were pretty clearly inspired by Looney Tunes and that very vintage/cartoon aesthetic.
I am really happy with how the design came out and it just gives some much-needed imagery that my brand has not really had in the past.
I like things bright and bold for the most part and I think this hits the mark.
Which sneaker customizers do you follow/pay attention to?
I try to stay on top of what is happening in the space.
Guys like Mache and Dez Customz got me into custom sneakers in the first place.
Today I am a big fan of guys like Dillon DeJesus who are pushing into new territory with YouTube and stuff like that.
To rattle off some more names I am a big fan of Andrew Lewis, Justin Hendrick, Wally Champ, and tons more.
Definitely too many to name.
Here’s the equipment I use to make custom sneakers
- Brushes: Angelus Direct
- Paint: Angelus Direct
- Mockups: Dell Laptop
How would you describe what makes Bizon Customs’ sneakers special to a desired customer/fan?
I think above all, if you get a custom pair from me, you can be assured I spent at least 20 hours on it.
For lack of a better phrase, it’s always quality over quantity for me, and I hope my clients see that too. I am not the guy putting out 300 pairs a year, but I like to think my projects are hyper-focused and more intimate. I hope that makes sense.
What are trends in the custom sneaker space are you most excited about?
I just love when somebody does something new man.
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I know that sounds dumb but custom sneakers often turn into this game of ‘rinse and repeat’.
Someone has an idea and then everyone beats it to death by making an iteration of that design on every sneaker that exists.
I love getting stopped in my tracks on Instagram with a pair of shoes that I can just tell somebody but 30 hours into.
Sneakers that leverage solid portrait work and realism are always my favorite style-wise because you simply can not imitate good artistic work like that.
What is one or the most worthwhile investments you’ve ever made in your custom sneaker business?
I guess my airbrush. I am super old-school I guess you could say; I do everything by hand without stencils or anything like that.
But the airbrush just helps speed up the base layers, building textures, stuff like that.
What has been one or the most worthwhile lessons you’ve learned running a custom sneaker business?
I think one lesson that comes to mind is that it is alright to tell people “no”.
You can not accept every order that comes your way or take every project.
I have found myself doing a lot of work I did not want to do for friends’ friends and people who did not really understand my ambitions.
I think any artist knows this but people see you paint shoes and assume you do everything else under the sun; I have been asked to paint computers, hats, signs, and even a car.
But over time I learned it is okay to tell people “no”.
The work will be better if the artist is passionate about it, the ideas flow better, and it helps you be more focused and valued in your field.
Being selective with your projects in way that is respectful to customers is only going to improve your work quality and mental health.
What advice would you give to a first time custom sneaker artist? What advice should they ignore?
If you started making custom shoes because you saw you can make money doing it, take your paints and throw them in the garbage.
Especially today with how saturated the space is, you have to care about the product before anything else to stand out.
Money should not be the motivating factor and it only leads to subpar work.
If you care about what you do, you have fun doing it, and you put the hours in, everything else will fall into place!
How can I learn more about Bizon Customs?
I am on Instagram, Twitter, and all that. Instagram killed organic engagement though so turn on my notifications if you really want to see my stuff.
I made a TikTok once but I just don’t think I can get into it yet. It just feels inauthentic and I don’t want to play the game.
Everyone says my stuff will blow up there but I don’t want my art next to a highlight reel of TikTok dances. It’s just not me.
Oh, and my website to email me with inquiries and all that.
What are big announcements that you want anyone interested in Bizon Customs to know?
I just want people to know how much I appreciate all the support I have received over the years.
This year was a little slower for Bizon Customs and I did not put out an insane amount of work.
I graduated from college and I have been job searching in hopes of taking a bigger step into the sneaker industry.
The job climate is tough right now, but I hope to eventually find a formal job in this space and take what I have learned into a career with one of the big footwear companies.
Aside from that, it has been business as usual. I have been painting but also just involving myself in creative things generally.
I like making music for fun and am putting some stuff out soon.
I have some cool sneaker projects on the way but I slowed things down to end the year to make art for my family for the holidays.
I am just trying to take my time these days and be deliberate with everything I do.
This merch took some time to get right and I know a lot of day one supporters will be excited for it!
For a limited time only, you can cop the Brennan Bizon x SNEAKGOD merch. Once it’s gone, this design is never coming back.
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