Hong Kong's Last Full-Time Custom Sneaker Maker!｜#ProFile #EngSub #MiLK #4K

#MiLK #ProFile // Hong Kong's last remaining full-time custom sneaker maker! A mid-life career change to handcraft sneakers and witness the evolution of Hong Kong's shoe craft scene. Custom Kicks might be quite rare in Hong Kong nowadays, but they have long been mainstream overseas. Our interviewee this time, Billy, is the only remaining full-time custom sneaker maker in Hong Kong today. Whether it's modifying a pair of Nike sneakers with a leather shoe sole structure paired with a Vibram hiking outsole, injecting a Pikachu theme into Kobe 6 Proto basketball shoes, or completely handcrafting a new shoe upper from scratch, nothing is too difficult for him. However, the custom sneaker trend in Hong Kong is gradually declining. According to Billy, a social group that originally had over a dozen local custom sneaker artists about a decade ago now has very few active members left. Furthermore, local culture generally resists modifying sneakers, believing that customization lowers their value or even invites mockery for wearing "fake" shoes. Additionally, you often have to buy a brand-new pair of shoes first just to customize them; combining that with craftsmanship and material fees makes the overall cost quite high. Consequently, many sneaker lovers in Hong Kong hesitate to take the plunge. In addition to taking custom orders, Billy also hosts custom sneaker workshops. He recently developed a service to swap sneaker soles for leather shoe sole structures, and is starting to ha