BucketFeet Footwear Combines Art and Philanthropy

While the number of talented artists around the world may be vast, only a small percentage of these individuals ever gets the recognition they deserve. For BucketFeet co-founders Aaron Firestein and Raaja Nemani, footwear was the perfect way to spread art in a creative way, support artists and give back. Every artist has a story, and in BucketFeet‘s product range, so does every shoe. The label commissions hand-selected artists from around the world to create exciting designs for its comfortable, affordable footwear and the resulting products are “wearable art” that also serve as platforms to connect people and showcase the work of deserving artists.

New for 2013 is a trio of sneakers that champions the designs of artists from regions as diverse as Denmark and Nigeria. The work of London’s Inkheart draws from a map of the city’s “tube” — the famed public transportation known to tourists and locals alike — creating the one-of-a-kind “Common Transports.” Young Danish artist and The Creative Future Project founder Christian Andersen, meanwhile, collaborated with BucketFeet on “Fisticuffs” – a sneaker that showcases bold blue and red-patterned uppers. Rounding out the collection is a Japanese woodcut-influenced design by Lagos native Karo Akpokiere, who is also the first African artist to join the BucketFeet Global Artist Collective. His “Tokeria” slip-on showcases distinctive black and white patterned uppers defined by sharp lines and a medley of striking geometric shapes. Each silhouette is available now online from BucketFeet.