You can design your own custom pairs of Nike, Vans, Converse and more - here’s how

Do you fancy trying your hand at designing some shoes? (Photo: Shutterstock)Do you fancy trying your hand at designing some shoes? (Photo: Shutterstock)
Do you fancy trying your hand at designing some shoes? (Photo: Shutterstock)

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What you wear everyday is more than just a jumper, jeans or a pair of shoes - it’s a way of expressing yourself.

Have you ever felt that you can’t find the right pair of shoes that fit your style perfectly? Well, some popular brands let you design your very own custom footwear online.

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Here are the companies who offer custom design services, and how to do it.

Nike

Formerly known as Blue Ribbon Sports from 1964 to 1971, Nike became the company’s official brand name on 30 May 1971. The name comes from Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. It’s the world’s largest supplier of athletic shoes and apparel, but these aren’t shoes for athletes only.

To create your own pair of Nike shoes, head over to the Nike By You section of the website.

You start off by choosing a pair of Nike shoes that already have a design on them. When you’ve found a pair you like, click on them and you’ll see a small box that says ‘customise’ on the right hand side of the screen.

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You’ll be taken to a new window which allows you to click on different parts of the shoe and choose new colours and designs for it.

Vans

Originating in 1966, Vans first gained popularity with skateboarders across Southern California. Nowadays, Vans is a popular shoe choice across the world.

To create your own pair of Vans, just head to the brand’s ‘customs’ website, where you can get started.

Start by choosing the style of the shoe itself, before getting into the colours - are slip-ons more your speed, or is old skool the only way forward?

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From there, you can choose which colours you want for the shoe, as well as laces, you can add embroidery, and even the different types of materials for the shoe.

You can even upload your own photo to be the design of your shoe.

Converse

Converse is an American shoe company that was founded in 1908. The company’s portfolio of shoes include all kinds of iconic footwear, like Converse, Cons, Chuck All-Star, One Star and Star Chevron trademarks.

Converse has been a subsidiary of Nike since 2003, so it’s no surprise that the process of designing your own Converse is pretty much the same as Nike.

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Head over to the customise section of the Converse website where you’ll be able to browse different types of shoes that already have a design on them.

When you find a pair you like, click on them and you’ll be taken to a page where you can see an ‘edit design’ button on the right. Click that button, and you’ll be taken to a new window where you can click on different parts of the shoe to change the colours and design.

Adidas

Adidas was founded in Herzogenaurach, Germany, in 1949 - it was previously known as Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory between 1924 and 1949.

The brothers’ relationship fell apart in 1949, which is when one brother, Adolf Dassler, created Adidas and the other brother, Rudolf Dassler, created a rival shoe company, Puma.

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To design your own pair of Adidas shoes, head to the ‘personalisable trainers’ section of the website.

Adidas doesn’t offer the same level of personalisation as other sites, but you can choose between different preset colours and designs to find what suits you. You can also add text to the shoes, to make them extra personal to you.

Timberland

Timberland was founded in 1928 in Boston, Massachusetts, and was geared towards those looking for shoes for outdoors use before it became an everyday style icon. The company has 193 locations all over the world, with 34 of those across the UK.

To create your very own bespoke pair of Timberland shoes, just head over to the Design Your Own section of the website.

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Start by choosing your preferred style of shoe. From there, you can get into the nitty gritty of designing your own pair.

Underneath your work in progress, Timberland also offers a ‘design inspiration’ section, to help you get started.

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