They lift your spirits, prompt you to think, make you feel grateful and inspire you to do more. They connect you to our community, shining a spotlight on what's good about our city. They're stories that are Uniquely Milwaukee, sponsored by the Milwaukee Public Library.
Every creative has a story to tell. Sometimes, it’s through lyrics. Sometimes, it’s through shoes. This episode of Uniquely Milwaukee puts the focus on footwear, with an artist who’s making custom sneakers for some big names at this year’s Summerfest.
Brandon Johnston is the owner of Soul 2 Sole (S2S) Creations. The Carroll University graduate was tapped — once again — by the Big Gig to create designs for two of this year’s headliners: custom Nike Dunks for one, and a pair of Air Force Ones for the other.
Last year, he made shoes for Kane Brown, Illenium and SZA.
“SZA, she wanted to do Adidas Sambas. That’s one that definitely will probably stay in my mind for a very long time,” Johnston said. “She’s pretty out there, like she wears her heart on her sleeve when it comes to showing her emotions, and I think that’s really brave.”
The native of Raleigh, N.C., has also partnered with the Brewers, created custom kicks for former Bucks star Jrue Holiday and collaborated with many more. In this conversation, Johnston and I talk about where his passion began, the story behind one of his favorite designs, and his latest Summerfest opportunity.
“(Summerfest) had some artists that they thought, ‘Hey, let’s gift these guys some sneakers, some custom one-offs,’” he shared. “Everything we do with them so far, from last year up until now, has been one of one, bespoke — meaning I take the entire shoe apart, put it back together using whatever materials are approved.”
In addition to making custom shoes, he teaches classes through his Soul 2 Sole Creations brand. Inspired by local footwear and business entrepreneur Eric “Shake” James, he wants to find other ways to give back, especially in Milwaukee.
“The goal is to make it more affordable and more inclusive because the biggest barrier to entry for almost anything that’s of this skillset is the cost associated with it, and then the knowledge,” Johnston said. “The people that know the knowledge don’t want to give it out, and they overlook places like Milwaukee. This city is very underrated.”
As for this year’s Summerfest shoes, our conversation came a few days before the first artist’s concert, so since we couldn’t yet reveal their name. But stay tuned to our Radio Milwaukee social-media pages to find out their identity and see the shoes Johnston created.
