Photo by Taylor Images NYC
I started customizing sneakers in late 2002. It was during a time where only a really small handful of people were customizing and the industry was still in its infancy. Being a person who was big into sneakers, art, and fashion, I became inspired to try my hand at sneaker customization as I saw it as a great opportunity to make use of my art background. My goal was to create my favorite shoes in colorways that weren't available in stores and to stand out from the crowd. Through tons of research and trial and error I would develop my skills over time and even did some simple colorway themes for friends in the neighborhood but for the most part still did it only as a hobby.
Fast forward to 2007-2008. During that period, I had gotten laid off from a full time day job that I worked for years. It was a tough period where I went through a lot of trials and tribulations in my personal life and I was able to take solace in my art. It was during that time where I officially came up with Ecentrik (formerly Ecentrik Artistry) and begin to take my craft more seriously. Continuing to hone the craft and with the internet continuing to become a regular part of everyday life, I saw it as an opportunity to expand on my gift and began to use social media as a platform to promote my work as I continued to build my brand. A self taught artist, the name Ecentrik (pronounced as "Eccentric") represents my personal style as I am a big fan of abstract art and graffiti and I use those elements in my art style. The vision for my brand is to create original work with a signature style and vibe while presenting each pair of custom footwear as a piece of art that happens to be wearable as opposed to following the latest trends, hence my brand's slogan "Creativity Over Hype".
Over the last couple years, the brand has attracted clientele both domestic and abroad as well as some well known personalities in different fields of entertainment. My mission is to continue to build the brand as well as inspire future generations of artists to come.
Elom Bowman aka Ecentrik
