Sneakerplaats interview with @brunograffer

1. Who (are you?), What (do you for a living?), Where (do you live?)

I am a French artist and I share my artistic creations on my social media. It can be paintings, drawings, customs of different objects and some humoristics shit.

At the beginning, I study graphic design for 5 years and wanted to be an artistic director in a communication agency, but now I do my art for living through my social medias.

2. What is your “customizer name” and how did you came up with it?

My nickname on social media is Brunograffer. It actually came from another instagram profile that I had : Brutographer.

Its was for share my work of photography : Bruno + Photographer.

Then I do more drawing than photography and transform it in Brunograffer : Bruno + Graphism/graffer/graffiti.

3. How did you get involved with custom sneakers and when did you start customizing?

I think I always love sneakers. But not sneakers as we imagine from famous brands (nike, Jordan, Adidas), I just liked shoes. That was also because those pairs from famous brands were too expensive for me. I never spent more than 40€ for a pair of shoes.

I watched a lot of photos and videos of customs sneakers from Leo Mahalo, Vexx and Marko Terzo for example. But in my concerne, it was a practice too expensive for me (paints stuff and shoes).

Now that I am freelance, finished my studies and more financially conformable, the sneakers world became more affordable and I can buy pairs for myself and custom them.

4. Do you remember your first pair of custom sneakers? If so, tell us all about it and show us some pics?

Of course! My first pair was a commission from a French follower on a Nike AF1. I remember that I did it for 40€ at this time.

Video : https://www.instagram.com/p/CBk73B2K6f2/

5. Which brands and models do you prefer customizing?

I still e very beginner in the sneakers world, even the custom’s one. I have only 5 pairs of sneakers in my collection (without counting some random shit shop online ahah) and custom a total of 12 pairs.

But the model that I prefer to custom is the one that no one dare to custom. I am a kind of rebel you know. I really enjoy think about what should be the right custom on the right shoes and not that with a full blanc white piece like the iconic AF1. And people who hate me because I custom the uncustomable, go fuck yourself. That are my shoes, I do what I want on my shoes 😉

I received a lot of critic from the Jordan fan community when I post my custom of the Air Jordan 6 Retro Carmine (2021).

Vidéos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CMKL768K3uC

6. How many customs have you made?

Already answered before: 12 pairs of customs 😉

7. What do you think is your most beautiful pair of custom sneakers?

As I said before I am kind of fed up of custom Nike AF1 of blanc shoes. So my most beautiful custom as for me the ones that I enjoyed to paint. For example the Nike Ambush Fuchsia.

8. How do you get inspiration for your custom sneakers?

I scroll on social media. Instagram and TikTok are a great source of inspiration for me. Concerning custom of sneakers that I am interested to try myself, but always all others forms of arts.

I also use a lot Pinterest to put all my reference categorized in one place.
You can follow me there haha!

Pinsterest references: https://www.pinterest.fr/brunograffer

9. Do you also make custom sneakers by appointment? If so, what do you need in terms of input and what does that process look like?

I do 3 kind of custom sneakers :

1 – For myself on my pairs (kind of experimentations)
Like the one I did by glue pages of comics book. A weird but interesting way to process.
Comics books custom

Vidéos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CM2VoAXqsex

2 – For a giveaway. I custom a pairs and give it away through a contest on my instagram page. I did that 5 times!

3 – And for a commission. But I have only done 3 commission at this time.

I actually take commissions via DM on Instagram. People can contact me, tell what custom they would like on what pair of shoes and if they are ok with my rates, let’s go! But I have to say that in France, people aren’t really agree to spend something like 100€ or 200€ on a custom.

It’s like if in France people aren’t aware about the price of art works. So, that’s why I don’t take a lot of commissions.

10. What will be your next custom sneakers?

I have made a few selection of my favorite pairs and make a vote on my instagram story to tell my community chose what will be my next one. I did that because I of course would like to custom it.

Actually, I am kind of fed up to always only see AF1 or AJ1 Custom on instagram. I would like to challenge myself with other model.

And so the winner of the votes is the Nike Air Huarache Triple White.
And, you see on my instagram that I did a concert art of the Satan Shoes from Lil Nas X on my tablet. I think I will try to do it for real on a Nike Air Max 97 😉

10. Have you got a fixed price for customizing or price per design? And what’s your range?

Nope. I have a minimum of 80€, but it will all depend of what the customer would like on his shoes. I calculate the price according to time I will spend on and the difficulty of the custom.

11. How long does it takes to customize a pair of sneakers?

Wow. It depend!

For example, the one that I present before with comics books pages glue on it took me 3 days! So long :S

But it usually take me between 4 and 6 hours (including preparing and retouching).

12. Where do you see yourself as a sneaker customizer in 5 years?

I will be no longer custom random sneakers and build my own jaja.

I also have the dream to custom legendary pairs of shoes like Vexx does with the Nike Air Mag. He’s crazy. I am crazy too. But without enough money yet 🙂

13. How do your loved ones feel about your “sneaker customizing” hobby?

I think I have friends more sneakers addicts than I am ahah! But they are always happy and amazed when I present them a new custom.

14. Where can people follow you on your socials?

Instagram for photos : @brunograffer
Tiktok for videos : https://www.tiktok.com/@brunograffer
Youtube for some longer videos : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYhQTW1f4ROsB68ftCz2W_Q

15. How can people buy your customs? Do you have a website or via social media?

Nope, only by Instagram DM. And if someone is interested in a custom already posted on my account, we can also arrange a private message 😉