My choice of a pair of shoes as the project’s foundation holds no hidden meaning. I’ve simply had a lifelong passion for sneakers (hence this cringeworthy photo from 2017) and thought they would be an engaging canvas for expression and activism. I figured that Air Force 1s, a mainstream but iconic silhouette, would be the perfect way to attract a broad audience, ranging from college students (who experience extremely competitive academic and social environments) to sneaker resellers like myself (I'm well aware of the never-ending hustle that goes into that job). They’re also relatively inexpensive and suitable for painting!

The NFL’s “My Cause My Cleats” is a week during the regular season in which players take the field wearing uniquely painted cleats that promote a cause of their choice. These eye-popping designs inspired me to use footwear as a platform for activism.

A New York-based fashion influencer and mental health advocate, Liz Beecroft actually collaborated with Nike on an exclusive pair of Air Max 270s titled “In My Feels,” aiming to promote mental health awareness. Seeing and researching her work helped me understand how popular culture can be mobilized to advocate a less discussed topic.

As mentioned in the design description, I incorporated Haring's signature figures as a nod to his own activism, being a longtime fan of his. He was a pop artist whose work promoted meaningful social issues like drug abuse and the AIDS epidemic.

The idea of splitting the left shoe down the middle to convey two distinct ideas came from the Jordan 1 'Homage to Home,' whose split design denotes two classic color schemes.