FOR INTERPRIDE
Let’s wrap 2021 with color and creativity and raise funds for a great cause! Happy Socks join Art of Sole – a lifestyle brand dedicated to exclusive and artistic sneaker designs – to create two unique shoes, inspired by the colors of the rainbow Pride flag.
It’s the second time Art of Sole brings Happy Socks’ colorful patterns into the realm of sneakers. In 2019 we collaborated on two pairs of Nike’s Force Air 1, that had been inspired by matching Happy Socks prints. This time around Art of Sole chose to work with a classic Puma Basket model, as a canvas for an artwork based on our 2021 Pride products’ designs.
Do you love the result as much as we do? Enter our donation raffle to get a chance to win a unique pair of Happy Socks x Art of Sole sneakers & the whole Pride socks’ collection. Let’s contribute to InterPride’s work! Each raffle entry costs 5£. More entries = more chances to win! All the tickets’ costs going directly to InterPride.
At Happy Socks we are committed to Always Walking with Pride and supporting the LGBTQIA+ community, not only during the Pride season but 365 days a year. That’s why during 2021 we’ve been donating 10% of our Pride products’ sales to InterPride, the international association of Pride events around the world. To finish the year even stronger, we’ve created a donation raffle with two one-of-a-kind handmade sneakers by Art of Sole.
Read our interview with Art of Sole’s founder Carlos Alves and deep-dive into his thought process and inspirations.
Hi Carlos! We’re so happy we’ve got to collaborate with you again. Could you tell our fans more about the idea behind Art of Sole and how it all started?
Art of Sole was created in 2019, with a single simple idea in mind: creating artistic handmade shoes of supreme quality. I realized that sneakers are the ultimate shoes to tell a story, promote a brand or a charity. They really have the power to engage people and enable them to express their individuality!
How did Art of Sole go from your personal project to a lifestyle brand that gathers a following of devoted sneakerheads around the world?
In these 2 years, the project has grown a lot and we’re now working together in an amazing team of eight people that personally take care of every single pair of our sneakers. All our shoes are made with loads of love, always hand-painted, sewn, and hand-printed locally in Germany. We only work with quality materials, such as cork leather from Portugal, nubuck leather, and leather from Italy. With durability and sustainability in mind, we guarantee that all our products are water-resistant and can be easily washed with soap and water. Everything we do is produced on demand, to avoid waste and protect the environment.
But before these amazing art pieces materialize, they all start their lives in your creative mind. How do you come up with new design ideas?
My inspiration comes from all the random places: from a salt package to nature. Collaborating with other brands is also an organic way of finding a common theme, depending on their area of expertise. The key to preserving the originality is to see myself as a designer and artist, rather than just a customizer. Our team doesn’t work on commission, we only create our own concepts and designs.
How did it go with our Pride project then?
We normally use Nike Air Force 1 model as a base for our projects, but this time we decided to go with the classic Puma Basket, to create a truly original and outstanding product. The direct inspiration is of course the rainbow Pride flag and the Progressive Pride flag, together with the Happy Socks’ Pride designs. We wish to bring attention to Pride, using the love for sneakers that so many people share. We hope to reach a different audience, that might not have been very involved with LGBTQ+ rights yet!
Carlos Alves de Sousa
Started using art to customize and design clothes as a 17-year old. He has a background in Fashion Design, and Business Economics and Trade Management. In 2019, inspired by the hip-hop culture, he founded the Art of Sole, based in Germany.
Follow Art of Sole on Instagram and visit their website to shop for the latest designs.
SUPPORT INTERPRIDE
Donate directly, or shop our Pride products to support InterPride’s work. InterPride will receive 10% of the profits from all products in our always-on Pride collection sold throughout the year.
#AlwaysWalkWithPride
