Oddworld Abe’s Oddysee Converse

And now for something a little different. I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to both design and create the Oddworld shoes for a guy called Mike in Canada. I really enjoyed the whole process because I was able to work with Mike to come up with something he wanted, two minds coming together to create something completely new and fresh.

We started off by getting together a list of games that he has enjoyed in his past. Both Psychonauts and Portal came up and I’m sure theres a good shoe in both of those games but Oddworld really stood out. It’s a gem of a game, a cult classic and although I have not played it in ages the Vintage Game Club did play and disscuss it (HERE) quiet recently. I would be playing it right now on my PSP if Sony would release it in PAL Regions (shame on you Sony, for shame).

For those of you that might be confused by the shoe SoulStorm Brew is a corporation within the game. The Oddworld Encyclopidia (which actually exsists) describes it as such :

SoulStorm Brew is one of the Magog Cartel’s most important product lines, a highly addictive and slightly toxic drink that is not only Oddworld’s favourite alcoholic beverage, but a powerful tool in the enslavement and suppression of the Mudokons.


The initial idea whilst almost exactly the same to what you see here went through some colour revisions. First they were Black which made the green far too harsh, appearing almost like they would glow in the dark. They were then grey until I finally picked the laces up and thought a  dark blue would tie it all together nicely, Personally I couldn’t be happier with the choice.

I wrongly thought that both shoes would be the same and got started. Upon picking up the left shoe however I realised my design would have the word Soul Storm Brew backwards so a couple of hours and a quick redesign to the logo I was back on track, a minor bump in the road.

This shoe has used a wide range of colours, the most I have used in a single design to date. Again I used only a brush, personally I see using pens as cheating a bit but that’s purely my view – more power to you if it works for you. On a personal note I think my technique is improving all the time (the second photo, the eye shows how much detail you can achieve with a fine tipped brush).

All of the paints used in the design came from the folks over at PaintedSoles, Pay them a visit if you want to have a go at your own designs, they have everything you need to get you up and running. If you need advice I’m only an email away.

The following paints were used in this design :

Black, Popsicle Green, Green, Light Grey, Orange, Purple, Yellow, White.

Hope you like them guys, please stop by and leave a comment. If you would like your own set of customs please don’t hesitate to email me. The base cost is £115 including the cost of the shoe but please contact me for the details. I can fit in 1 or 2 more pairs before christmas so get your order in asap if you want them as a gift for someone. Designs are not limited to video games.

Expect the next shoe soon, there sat here ready to be painted!