We sat down with @LatyasArt, a defining name in the UK sneaker space. Specialising in restoration, customisation, and cleaning, Latya’s passion for shoes has evolved into a vibrant and meticulous craft. What began as a childhood fascination with stylish footwear has blossomed into a thriving business dedicated to bringing your favourite sneakers back to life, with a personal touch that sets each pair apart. From breathing new life into worn-out classics to designing unique, head-turning custom kicks, LatyasArt is all about quality, creativity, and a deep love for sneaker culture. In this conversation, we dive into the process behind each restoration, explore the art of customisation, and share the care that goes into making every shoe look its best.
Where did you passion for sneakers begin?
Being the youngest of six girls, I was deeply influenced by my older sisters. My eldest sister, in particular, always had the nicest new shoes, and I truly admired her. She was also quite artistic, which inspired me in many ways, but it was her love for stylish shoes that left the biggest impression on me.
I’ve always had a strong interest in shoes. For me, it wasn’t just about having something to wear—it was about looking my best and expressing myself. I could never settle for just one practical pair to wear all the time. Instead, I preferred having multiple pairs, keeping them in excellent condition, and taking pride in how they looked.
Even during secondary school, where trainers were allowed, I made sure my footwear stood out. My go-to options were usually black Air Force Ones, black Air Max 90s, or, earlier on, fully black Vans. These shoes weren’t just functional they reflected my personality and style.
How did you move from someone who likes sneakers into actually working in the sneaker industry?
I grew up in Nottingham, and when I turned 17, I got my first job at Foot Asylum. Being around shoes every day felt completely natural, it was a perfect fit with my interests. At the time, I was still studying art and design in college, so I often used my staff discount to buy Air Force Ones and customise them. That’s actually when I started my Instagram page. I think I was around 16 when I first set it up.
Initially, I worked on old shoes I already owned or asked friends and family for pairs I could redesign. What started as a fun creative outlet gradually gained more attention. As people started noticing my work, interest in my designs grew, and I began getting more recognition.
I think things really began to take shape during my college years. After finishing school, I enrolled at a local college to study A Levels, but I absolutely hated it and ended up dropping out. I then tried a graphic design BTEC at a different college, but that didn’t feel right either, so I dropped out again.
Next, I explored fine art – it sounded promising – but I didn’t connect with it, so I left that as well. Finally, I enrolled in a fashion, art, and design access course, which was designed to help students prepare for university. That’s when everything started to click.
The course gave us the freedom to approach projects in our own way, as long as we met the brief. Some students focused on jewelry, others on fashion, but I decided to focus on sneakers. I ended up designing shoes for nearly every project because it was my true passion. It also aligned perfectly with my goal of studying footwear design at university. From that point on, everything started to make sense. My love for shoes became the foundation of my creative journey, and everything began coming together.
So you originally wanted to become a footwear designer, but instead the customisation stuff kind of took off?
I originally started out just wanting to be a customiser. Then I thought, “Oh, I could take this further and actually do footwear design.” But when I went to uni, I realized that footwear design wasn’t for me after all. And that’s fine. It happens. So, I went back to focusing on customization, which I had always been doing in the background.
When I spoke to a footwear designer, I realised how difficult the process really is. There are so many different aspects to footwear design, and every step of the way, I didn’t enjoy it. I liked drawing the shoes (that was the part I enjoyed) but that was about it. To be brutally honest, that’s just how it was.
Could you walk us through the process of a sneaker restoration? What are the typical steps that are involved?
The first thing I always do with a restoration is clean the shoes. This is crucial because there’s no point in painting, dyeing, or doing any other work if they’re dirty. Dirt and grime can interfere with the materials and make it harder to get the best result. A lot of people will inquire and ask, “Do you really have to clean them first?” and I always say, “Yes, absolutely. If you want the best result, I need to clean them thoroughly first.” Cleaning sets the foundation for the entire restoration process.
Once the shoes are clean and dry, the next steps depend on what I’m doing with them. Every restoration is different, but typically, if I’m working on something like a Jordan 4, the first thing I’ll do is repaint the midsole. This is often the most worn part of the shoe, and getting the midsole looking fresh can really transform the overall appearance. After that, I’ll move on to any work needed for the upper part of the shoe. The upper can require a range of treatments depending on the damage or wear.
For example, if it’s a sneaker like the bred Jordan 4, I’ll often need to re-dye the leather or other materials to bring back the rich, original colour. If the upper is leather, I’ll repaint it to restore its smooth, clean finish. Leather can get scuffed or faded over time, so repainting is key to bringing it back to life. Additionally, if the netting has yellowed, I’ll take the time to repaint that as well, ensuring it looks as close to new as possible.
What are some of the most popular requests you receive for sneaker customisation?
The most popular requests… you know what? It’s hard to say what the most popular one is because it really comes in waves. Maybe last year, I’d say it was a lot of people asking for rope laces. Rope laces, yeah, they were in demand all the time. But honestly, I don’t mind—if you want to buy them and I know how to do it, I’ll definitely help you out.
On the more creative side of things, I did a pair of custom Arsenal sneakers for my nephew’s birthday. A lot of the designs I’ve done have been for my nephews, mostly as birthday gifts. I make a video of the process, and since I’m doing it for them for free, it’s a way to show off my work. Then, people will see it and ask if I can make something similar for them. Sometimes, someone will see a design and ask, “Could you do this instead? Or could you change this?” And from there, I’ll make a video of the updated design.
During the summer, I got a lot of requests for football-themed customs, mostly Arsenal, since that’s the team I started with. But I also encouraged people to reach out if they wanted me to customize sneakers for their team. Just message me, and I’ll create a design. In the end, I ended up doing two Arsenal kits, a West Ham pair, and a Real Madrid design. I think that’s all the football-related ones I did.
Are there any limits to the types of shoes you can restore? Are there any shoes that you prefer to work on?
I wouldn’t say there’s a strict limit, but I definitely exercise more caution with certain pairs. It’s not that I’m unwilling to work on them, but for me, it might not be worth the risk, if you know what I mean? Like, when it comes to super expensive shoes… If they’re really, really high-value or rare, and the client is very specific about what they want, I’d just rather not take that risk because if they’re not happy with the result, what can I really do? I’m not insured to reimburse a pair of shoes that are worth, say, 30k. Do you know what I mean? It’s a huge responsibility.
If I’m confident in my ability to restore or customise them, then, sure, I’d take it on. But for the most part, if the shoes are that expensive or old, it’s probably not worth the risk of trying to fix something minor. On those high-value pairs, the issue is often something really small that the owner might point out, and I’d rather avoid that kind of situation. Even though I’m confident I could get the colour or design right. It’s a lot of pressure, and I’d prefer to steer clear of any potential complications.
What are some of the common misconceptions people have about sneaker restoration and customisation?
One of the top comments I get on any of my videos is, “What about when it rains?” And I’m always like, do you really think I’d put all this work into a pair of shoes just for the design to come off when they get wet? No, it’s a specific paint that’s made for shoes. A lot of the shoes you already own are painted too. If you look closely at something like the Jordan 4 midsoles, you can actually see the paint stroke marks on them.
A lot of people will say, “Oh, you’re done when it rains.” But my response to that is, the amount of time and care that goes into customizing these shoes makes them durable, even in the rain. It’s not like it’s just going to peel off.
People will say, “Oh, I need them by next week.” That’s crazy! Sometimes I’ll try my best if someone says it’s for a birthday or special occasion, but I never guarantee a quick turnaround. I don’t want to rush it because I take pride in the quality of my work. If I’m confident in the time frame, or if I’ve done the design before, then maybe I can meet a tighter deadline. But if it’s a design I’ve never done before, I always tell people, “It’ll take as long as it takes.” I never want to cut corners, and I always want to give the customer the best result.
How do you ensure the durability of the paint and materials used?
I use special paints and dyes for my work, whether it’s for customization or restoration. For instance, I have specific leather paints or dyes that I rely on. And no matter what I’m working on, I always add a protective finish to the paint. If it’s a dye, I make sure to apply a layer of protection as well. This ensures the work lasts longer and holds up under wear and tear.
I also do a lot of the work on my own shoes so I can really test things out and see how they hold up—it’s all about trial and error for me. I make sure everything I use is tried and tested. In fact, I’m wearing a pair right now that I customised. It’s raining today, and I wanted to see how they’d do in the wet conditions. And so far, they’re holding up perfectly fine.
Oh, and speaking of designs, one of my friends did a custom on a pair of Timberlands that I’ve been obsessed with ever since. He did a dragon design for Chinese New Year, using a style just like the one I’ve done here. The design looked incredible, and I’ve been wanting to get my own pair of Timberlands customized ever since. I just haven’t had the chance yet.
By the way, the design I did on these shoes—was it a dye pen or something else? No, I used a stencil and airbrushed it. The wool on these shoes would have ruined the paint if I’d just tried to use regular paint. It’s sheepskin, so I had to be extra careful with the technique. I’ve seen some people try to sand it down or use dye pens for these kinds of materials, but I wanted to try something different. The results are so satisfying!
How long does the average restoration or customisation project take to complete from beginning to end?
When I estimate the time for a restoration, I’d say it typically takes 2 to 3 days. This includes the drying time, especially for cleaning or restoring shoes. For customisations, though, the work itself usually takes about two days to complete but maybe a week.It might seem quick, but when you factor in all the breaks between steps, it can add up. I also don’t work on just one pair at a time, I prefer a staggered workflow to keep everything moving.
For example, I’ll clean several pairs of shoes at once, and while some are drying, I’ll work on a different pair. This keeps me busy and ensures that I’m always making progress. It’s all about staying efficient and balancing the workload.
What trends or designs are you currently looking at or is there anything you want to try that?
I’ve wanted a pair of Uggs for a while, but I didn’t want just any pair, you know? I wanted something a little different, something with that je ne sais quoi… something with my signature twist on it. So, I bought a pair a few weeks ago, but whenever I decide to customize something for myself, I get a bit hesitant. I think, “Okay, I’ve bought these Uggs, and now I don’t want to mess them up.” But once I start, I always push through.
The first thing I do is design the pattern digitally. I use my iPad to play around with different color schemes. Initially, I was leaning towards black, but after doing a vote with my friends, they suggested brown, so I went with that. Once I have the color figured out, I move on to designing the actual pattern. This is all done digitally at first, and once I’ve got the design just right, I import it into Cricut software to cut out the stencil.
This is where the real detail work begins. I carefully remove the negative space from the stencil, basically taking out all the areas where I don’t want the paint to go. Once that’s done, I apply the stencil to the Uggs. This part is actually the longest and most tedious, especially because the masking tape wouldn’t stick to the Uggs material very well. So, I had to use sellotape, which was a bit tricky too, but it worked better than the masking tape.
Once the stencil is securely in place, I get to the airbrushing, which is the quickest part of the process. It only took about 10 minutes. After that, I let it dry, and then comes the tedious part of peeling off the stencil. In my opinion, the hardest part of airbrushing is cleaning the airbrush afterward. I actually enjoy the cleaning process, but it’s definitely time-consuming.
I’ve used an airbrush a few times, and it can be tricky to get the hang of. I have a dual-action airbrush, which lets you adjust both the airflow and the amount of paint, but it took me a while to figure out the right balance. At first, controlling the consistency of the paint was difficult, but with practice, I got better. The real challenge, though, comes after the fun part—cleaning the airbrush. It can take up to an hour to dismantle and clean the airbrush, and honestly, it’s not the most enjoyable part of the process.
A lot of people don’t clean their airbrushes properly, but I always make sure to. I clean it thoroughly after every color change because I don’t want any old paint to mix with the new one—especially when I’m working with something like white shoes. It’s all about maintaining consistency, and cleaning the airbrush properly ensures that no leftover paint will ruin the next layer. That way, I know the final result will be clean, crisp, and precise.
How has sneaker customisation and restoration evolved since 2017?
One thing I’ve noticed is the shift in what people want for their sneakers. It used to be things like rope laces, but now it’s like we’re working on the Jordan 4s. What’s really changed is that luxury brands have started releasing sneakers, and the people buying them are looking to maintain them because they’re so expensive. These luxury sneakers are much pricier compared to your standard Jordan 4s or other models that typically need restoring.
Nowadays, I get a lot more luxury shoes to work on compared to, say, 2017 or 2018. A big reason for this is that many of these shoes have been discontinued. For example, the Dior B22s—I get those a lot. People really want to keep them in good condition because they’re no longer available for purchase. And I totally get why; these luxury shoes are hard to come by now.
What advice would you give to someone (18:10) who wants to start restoring or customising their sneakers?
You’re not going to get customers right away. I didn’t get my first customer for a few months after I started painting on things. In the beginning, I painted on anything I could find. At one point, someone asked if I could paint a plant pot for their new house, and I said, “Yeah, sure, I’ll do it.” I painted so many different things early on just to build a portfolio and show that I could actually paint. It was all about getting that initial exposure.
Now, I’m at a point where I can focus on what I really want to do, but it took time to get here. It’s definitely all about consistency.
