Meet Paris Jordan of Dezine Dope

Paris, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My passion for footwear goes back to as far as I can remember. My mother has had a thing for fashion and made sure we were fitted as well. Same with my stepdad. One of the main influences on me getting into sneakers. I spent countless hours looking at shoe releases and exclusive colorways online to making hundreds of NikeIDs and never bought one lol, that four-week wait was crazy back then. Ironically, It wasn’t until college, and after basketball was out of the plan; that I took my design skills seriously. In about 2011, sneaker art really started to catch my eye. Most of the designs were characters painted on the shoes or different themes/mashups that you wouldn’t normally see. I remember it was one day Nicekicks posted Mountain Dew Jordan 10 and I had to have them. I was in my dorm and emailed the artist inquiring about a pair. I think the price was too much for my college pockets at the time, but It gave me the idea to brainstorm ideas. It’s 2013 now; I was making mockups of colorways on photoshop for a couple of months, then I had a simple but dope idea I felt like I could do myself. I had a pair of Fire Red 5s (Silver Tongue), and I wanted to change the midsole from black to gold. I went to Michael’s bought some gold paint (nowhere near the right paint), tape and paintbrushes, and made it a reality. I put it on my personal Instagram, and everybody loved them! Inquiries started coming in and, eventually, it turned into a business!

I spent the next 18 months, working day and night, teaching myself the art and business aspect. At the beginning of 2015, I was blessed with the opportunity to partner with a local sneaker group, Frsh Indy formerly Circle City Sole, to open a Sneaker Boutique and Customization Store. This is where I gained most of my local buzz because the mall was on the opposite side of the city. It gave me new clientele as well as daily content for my internet fan base. I worked open to close five months straight until it got overwhelming. I started to get frustrated with the input vs. outcome. I felt I was doing too much work and wasn’t gaining much. I had to switch things up, and Los Angeles was looking promising. A few of the companies I was already working with, were located out here, and I just saw so much opportunity. It took me about three months to find a feasible living situation, knock out all my orders, and get my things packed up on the road to California.

I touched down Summer of 2015 and hit the ground running ever since. I was working freelance still customizing, but I had to get a few side gigs to maintain. The start of this year, I was able to finally quit those and work on Dezine Dope full time!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There’s been ups and down throughout this whole journey, and I think sometimes, as artists, we don’t really expose the failures or hardships coming up. There was so much time and money invested in my craft before I could even take one order. I was doing all the homies shoes for less to nothing and teaching myself along the way. A lot of messed up shoes at the beginning. I’ve always had a strong belief in myself though, so whenever I’m faced against an obstacle, the only option is to get through it. You’ll have to make sacrifices and remain disciplined to achieve your goals. Everything is always up and down. You can’t predict any of it really… and I think that’s what excites me, because anything can happen at any moment, for the better or worse. It’s all up to you.

Please tell us about Dezine Dope.
I am a Footwear Designer and my business, Dezine Dope, provides a customizable footwear service. I give my clients an experience to create their own 1of1 designs on their favorite models. My work ranges from simple colorways changes, using paint or other mediums, to slight reconstruction, adding different fabrics and materials.

I’ve done a good amount of pairs I’m proud of for professional artists, Athletes, Brands, Entrepreneurs, Actors, etc. since then, and to this day that still blows my mind that people I am fan of, are fans of my work as well. Honestly, I work so much that I don’t even get a chance to sit and really put into perspective things I’ve done. I’m just glad I can wake up every day to create and inspire, really… show a kid anything is possible. This year I was able to work with BET and Kickperience to host a Custom Sneaker Workshop, and it was dope seeing them eager to learn new skills and promote the culture in a positive light. One of my biggest accomplishments this year was winning the GOAT DIY Customizer Contest in February. My design was chosen out of thousands of artists across the world. I think my work stands out because of the detail and cleanliness. I pride myself in making shoes that look like they’d release that way. The idea is easy, but the execution and bringing it life is what really matters.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Not much, but if anything it’d be time management. You have to balance life and work, or you’ll get burnt out. Working 25/8 does not always mean you’ll get there faster. Sometimes it’s about the direction, not the speed. Make time for family and friends, travel a little and gain some inspiration, but most importantly do what makes you happy.

And that goes with health, mental and physical, which is key. If I don’t make it to tomorrow, neither does my business, so realistically I have to come first. I had to realize that things are going to work out how they’re supposed to, but as long as I do my part, I can’t be mad. We aren’t in control of everything.