The Annual Nike Shoe Shine party hit the Summit Music Hall in Denver this past weekend and it straight up blew minds. Leave it to Nike to recruit some of most talented minds on the planet Earth for this iconic project. Last year's boots were mostly painted, this year Nike upped the ante and gave the artists free range to cut, chop, saw, glue, illuminate, and basically make magic out of their Zoom Force 1 snowboard boots. The final products that these artists came up with were next level and jaw-dropping. 

Nike recruited some highly acclaimed artists and visionaries months ago to create masterpieces out of a pair of clean white ZF1 snowboard boots. What they came up with is more than most could possibly imagine. Artists involved ranged from clothing designers to stop motion production specialists to snowboard shop owners. The diversity of artistic minds made for some fresh new innovative designs. Just because Raul Pinto and JG Mazzotta work for a snowboard shop doesn't mean they couldn't create a masterpiece that holds up next to some of these artists that have been immersed in this kind of thing for years. That's what made this a collection what it was – a wide variety of progressive art.

The reality of all this is that these guys and gals put a ridiculous amount of work into these pieces all while most of them are already working day and night on other projects. After talking with Michael Possert Jr. about his piece, he told us how he holds down his 9 to 5-er job at Laika and spent every other waking hour on his masterpiece boots. The final product shows how this man put everything he's got into a next level design all during his own time.

After seeing the masses crowd around the Shoe Shine boots in a state of awe, I'd say Nike once again showed what can be done with such an amazing collaborative effort. Plans for the boots are another stop in Germany and then some will be used as prizes for The Nike Chosen winning crews. Big ups to the whole crew of artists who spent their own time creating something original, the Nike guys behind the scenes – Brian Craighill and Bobby Meeks, Satellite Boardshop, Summit Music Hall staff, as well as everyone who made this party the success is it every year.

Story & photos: Alex Nawrocky

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Tremonto concept drawings for the Nike Shoe Shine exhibit

Nike Shoe Shine Artist Interviews

Air Reactor by JG Mazzotta and Raul Pinto
Behind the scenes: Watch the making of Air Reactor powered by installite

 

The Shit Kicker by Ben Adams

 

Glowing Masterpiece by Michael Possert Jr.

 

S.H.O.E (Stabilized High Orbit Equipment) by Grandarmy