5 Questions with BucketFeet & Tiger Woods Sneaker Designer Jayson Atienza [Interview]

We have all heard the expression, talk the talk but one company is helping art enthusiasts walk the walk. Established in 2011, BucketFeet was founded by Aaron Firestein and Raaja Nemani to give artwork a new canvas… your feet. The footwear brand quickly established itself by allowing designers from around the globe the ability to express themselves on canvas sneakers. Less than five years later, the Chicago-based company opened its first store in Nolita and the shoes are now available at high-end retailers like Lord & Taylor, Nordstrom and LastCall. World renowned artists such as Jimmy Sheehan, JC Rivera, Meera Lee Patel and Michael St. Aubin have all created original artwork and designed looks for BucketFeet and the funky footwear is a favorite among celebrities like Tiger Woods, Guy Ritchie and Jeremy Piven, MStars News sat down with Bucketfeet designer and visual artist Jayson Atienza to learn more about the sneakers that hold their weight in the art world.

Danica Daniel: How did you become involved with Bucketfeet?
Jayson Atienza: Well it’s kind of funny. I used to live in Tribeca and there’s a, I don’t know if you’ve heard of John Allan’s, it’s a men salon. So I did a show with him a year before and so the, so the manager was like, “Hey you should stop by tomorrow because this new company called Bucketfeet is going to be here. They’re doing an event with us and I know you’re into shoes.”

Talk about being at the right place at the right time. So clearly you are a man that seizes and opportunity when you see one?
I lived right down the block. So I came back the next day and then I met with Raaja, one of the co-founders and we started talking and he’s like hey, “Yeah we’re actually looking for a new York artist. You need to be my partner you need to get involved and like start doing some stuff with us. And so yeah that’s pretty much how it first started.

Describe your aesthetic as a designer.
I mean I really just -mix styles, I'm really into customizing sneakers. You name it, I'll paint on anything. You can just imagine like I’m from the Philippines. But my wife and I just moved (to) Shanghai and year ago. But I’ve been living here for 17 years. 

Any famous clients?
Alright I’ll namedrop two, I created custom kicks for Tiger Woods and Jeremy Piven. You ever see that movie Rock-n-Rolla that Guy Ritchie directed? Jeremy Piven is wearing my shoes in the film. There’s a ten second scene where they are panning out on my kicks.

How does it feel when you see someone walking around in your one-of-a-kind sneakers?
As far as being part of the sneaker community, I have travelled all over the world and being able to put all that inspiration into one shoe has been amazing.

Learn more about Jayson in the video below and garner your own pair of BucketFeet sneakers designed by the visual artist here.