Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
The first shoes that Trent Colquitt ever fell in love with were Jordan 9 Cool Greys.
For Colquitt, who is a custom sneaker artist and the founder of ColtreKicks, the interest in shoes came from growing up in the ’90s, when his parents would buy him Nikes and Jordans to add to his ever-expanding collection. In high school, Colquitt and some friends even ditched school in the hope of getting their hands on a pair of the Cool Grey shoes he loved so much. Now, Colquitt paints Jordans and Nikes for a living, taking custom orders on his company’s website and converting seemingly average pairs of shoes into one-of-a-kind works of art.
“I always preach individuality,” Colquitt says. “I have a couple taglines for my business, and one of them is ‘Custom over conformity.’” It’s important to Colquitt that each customer have a unique experience, that the shoes give them confidence and what he calls “big shoe energy.”
Colquitt has designed a pair of shoes for St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington. He also teamed up with the shoe-care company Reshoevn8r and its brand ambassador, Vic Almighty, to create a Michael Myers–themed shoe for a Halloween contest.
Much of Colquitt’s inspiration comes from his grandfather, who was a landscape artist. As a kid, Colquitt would often watch him paint. “He was always a big role model for me,” he says. “Every time I paint, I feel like I’m honoring him by continuing his passion and love for art.”
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Trent Colquitt
Colquitt’s passion turned into a career during the height of the pandemic. It started with painting a pair of “throwaway” shoes in his dining room, he recalls, which he was able to sell for $100. “Somebody saw it and wanted it,” he says, “so, I kept going with it and tested the waters at pop-up events.”
Now, Colquitt is preparing to move the business into an art studio. “I’ve been doing everything from my house for the last year and a half,” he says. “I feel like I’m actually diving into this now.”
Since starting his business, brands such as High Noon, Torchy’s Tacos, Sanctioned Sneaker Collective, Arch Apparel, Byrd & Barrel, and Yuengling beer have reached out for collaborations. Yuengling, for instance, did a custom sneaker giveaway for the Texas State Fair. For Byrd & Barrel, Colquitt replaced the signature Nike Swoosh with a chicken-leg design.
“I never thought I would get these opportunities, especially doing what I do,” Colquitt says.
A member of the STL Fashion Alliance, Colquitt hopes to use his skills and connections to continue growing the company and eventually design his own staple sneaker and silhouette for clients.
“I want every piece of fabric and cloth and canvas to have my name on it,” he says.
But none of what he’s accomplished would have come to pass if he didn’t trust that he would find a way to pursue his passion, he says: “There’s always a way to figure out what you need… The opportunity is there. If you want to follow your dreams and passion, just do it.”
