Colby Hopper

The inspiration for this collection comes from a summer project I did with my brother, Ryley. In 2017, Ryley dove into a pool, fracturing his C5 vertebrae. As a result, he was left with a spinal cord injury leaving him paralyzed from the chest down. 

​

Over the years, Ryley's love for shoes has grown creating what is known as a "sneakerhead." Living in a wheelchair has reduced the natural wear on shoes that occurs when walking. That being the case, Ryley considers shoes to be a wearable art collection that he can keep intact for years.

​

This past summer, we took a vintage Reebok jacket and reworked the elements to create a one of a kind shoe for his wearing. Upcycled fashion is not only unique, but reduces the need to develop virgin materials and reduces textile waste in our landfills.

​

The following project is a knit shoe upper and sock collection inspired by this upcycled jacket with the hopes of creating one of a kind products for sneakerheads

​

​