From Spray Paint to Bike Shoes Art, this southerner is the king of graffiti on cycling shoes. Vincent Carbonnet has been transforming shoes into true works of art since 2018… We went to meet him!

By Jean-François Tatard – Photos: All rights reserved

From Spray Paint to Bike Shoes Art, it’s just one step. Vincent Carbonnet took it in 2018 after suffering a stroke. That’s also the day he told himself: “You only live once, and that’s why you have to try every experience.” And from that moment on, in addition to his job as owner of three gyms in the Southwest, which he managed remotely from the Antibes area, this former BAC police officer began to indulge in an additional passion he had kept hidden since adolescence: he draws on the shoes of cyclists who trust him, customizing their competition footwear. And after selling two of his three Orange Bleu franchise sports complexes after Covid, this now co-manager with his wife of an independent club, now produces several dozen pairs of shoes per month, after work hours or when he has free time.

A very fashionable practice in hip-hop and pop art culture. But very new in the cycling world.

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Vincent has always loved drawing and painting since he was a teenager, and gradually, having already graffitied on large anti-terror concrete blocks, he adopted this Spray Paint technique to express himself on a very specific format: shoes. And more precisely, cycling shoes. “I like to transcribe what I want onto a pair of cycling shoes; it makes them completely unique.” The creator adds: “I’m from the generation that grew up with the evolution of sneakers.” He then shows me a creation on a pair of Adidas Stan Smith on the Coldplay theme. A nearly surgical work that requires a lot of technique and patience, and is absolutely formidable.

Vincent’s first creations were very much linked to Disney characters. Unique shoes, therefore highly sought after. And finally, the very tedious efforts of his work pay off. Indeed, Vincent sometimes spends several hours on a simple design, but a pair of shoes with a more complicated request, like that of European para-cycling champion Christelle Ribault, can take him several days.

“You can’t mess up; I anticipate how I’m going to approach this or that design, but nothing scares me.” This is notably the case for this pair entirely customized in the Wonder Woman project ordered by Christelle Ribault. Some designs take a full day to complete. But the pair of shoes that impressed us the most were Fizik shoes. Indeed, during the French Artist weekend, Vincent offered this unique customization for €120 (excluding the price of the shoes). And apparently, since Vincent had managed to customize 10 of them in the same way, many customers rushed to place orders, to proudly display this edition branded Hasta la vista, Baby on one side and I’ll be back for the cake on the other.

Once finished, his work transforms cycling shoes into true works of art.

The prices of the models vary according to the chosen design. On his Instagram account, for products already made, the cost is on average €100 to €150. But each person is free to order their own design, to have even more personalized shoes. Vincent creates pairs of shoes for all tastes and all ages.

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But how does the artist achieve these results? Beyond absolutely extraordinary creativity, the creator uses sophisticated design equipment that guarantees durability, which itself has proven itself despite all weather conditions. The varnish that finishes the work spectacularly protects the design. And once finished, his work transforms cycling shoes into true works of art. And while other artists also offer this type of product, this was the first time we encountered it in the cycling world.

This artist, who also plans to open a shop in Antibes, thus creates, as we told you, dozens of pairs of shoes per month. A popular practice that first appeared in the United States. But on Street Style shoes. Indeed, having customized sneakers is highly sought after by many people, because it probably gives the feeling of being unique, of reflecting one’s personality. Even stars like Chris Martin have them, but in cycling, it’s new and unprecedented. Vincent is a quasi-pioneer. And we can expect this to invade the pelotons… Especially since a certain Wout van Aert has succumbed to the trend…

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