In his bedroom workshop, Aidon McCray, a sophomore business management major, brushes life into shoes, turning them into works of wearable art.
McCray’s love for sneakers came at the age of 14. This love for shoes fueled him to begin his business, McCray’s Footwear Services, on March 25, 2020.
Using Angelus paint products, he can transform regular shoes into a unique piece.
“I use Angelus because [my inspirations] use the brand and it’s very popular in the sneaker painting world,” McCray says.
McCray says he charges various amounts for custom footwear. He says prices are dependent on how much time and work are put into a design.
He says his favorite pair of shoes to customize are Nike Air Force 1s because of the “clean” design.
McCray graduated from Stratford High School in 2023. For graduation, he made himself a pair of low Air Force 1s that featured the school’s colors: red and yellow.
“It was important [to make them] because it was my way of giving back to the place that helped me flourish into the person I am today,” he says.
After graduation, he gave the shoes to the school. Now, they are on display in one of the school’s display cases for future students to see.
In the spring 2024, Conceited, from the MTV show “Wild N’ Out,” came to perform in the Lyman Center Theater. During that event, McCray gifted a custom pair of Nike Air Force 1s to Conceited.
The video of him gifting the shoes gained over 2,000 views on Instagram.
“For two-and-a-half weeks I would go to class, go home and work on the shoes [for Conceited] until two or three in the morning,” he says.
McCray describes giving the shoes as a “breath of fresh air” and was relieved to see his work bring joy.
Not only does McCray customize shoes, but he also restores them, bringing back that fresh feeling with every step.
He gives customers three different pricing options with a breakdown of what he will clean and the materials he will use.
The first option is the essential cleaning package which costs $45. With this service, he cleans the shoes’ midsoles, uppers, insole, sock liner and laces.
Then he has the $80 signature cleaning option where he does the same cleaning, but puts the shoes in a washing machine to give them a further deep clean.
The most expensive option is the $100 premium cleaning service which gives customers even more services such as decreasing, deodorizing, performance grip application, mink oil and stain repellent applications.
Using Reshovn8er and Rit Color Remover products, he cleans materials such as leather, suede, canvas and mesh.
“I use Reshovn8er because that is the brand I started with,” he says. “Their [YouTube tutorial] videos are what inspired me to restore shoes.”
Although materials like mesh and suede are harder to clean for him, he says he uses caution when doing so.
“If I get [anything] on a certain area of the shoe that is suede or mesh where I don’t want it, it is hard to fix,” McCray says.
He says he prefers customers to pay for the premium cleaning option when mesh, suede and patent leather are being cleaned because of the extra services to make the suede stay fresh longer.
Not only does he do basic cleanings, but he also does restoration projects, such as midsole swaps, outsole swaps and re-glues.
McCray has done some of these difficult restorations on several rare pairs of shoes, the Air Max 90 “Hufquake” from 2007 and the Nike Air Classic BW “Stash” from 2003
Both shoes needed a midsole swap, which is where the midsole of the shoe is replaced with a newer midsole.
“I get nervous not only working on rare shoes [but with] every shoe,” he says. “But once I get in my groove, I’m good.”
With only 1,000 pairs of the “Stash” themed Nikes released, McCray says he was scared to ruin a potentially irreplaceable shoe.
McCray says that older shoe models have polyurethane materials that tend to crumble over time due to oxidation.
“I have to separate [soles] with acetone, then remove the [older] glue using cotton balls and Q-Tips, reapply new glue, then bond the shoe section by section,” he says.
McCray recently took his skills with him to a Sneaker Con event on May 4 in Boston. There, he rented out a vendor’s table and set up shop.
“It was nerve-racking because I was by myself,” he says. “But I was promoting my business with business cards and doing live sneaker cleanings.”
He attended this event in hopes it would help scale his business larger. Scaling and “slower months” have been the biggest challenges he has faced.
McCray utilizes social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube to promote his brand, often posting before and after content to get people intrigued by his work.
Although finding new clientele is challenging, he says having around 60 consistent customers has helped the business thrive.
One of his often-returning customers is his barber, Ezequiel Santiago. Santiago has gotten over 20 pairs of shoes done by McCray.
“It has been a pleasure seeing Aidon grow with every challenge I have presented to him,” Santiago says.
Santiago says that McCray’s work is worth more than what he charges due to his attentiveness put into every project.
McCray plans on continuing his business, while balancing his classes. Dorming in Neff Hall, he is dedicating time to his craft, commuting from campus to his home to work on shoes.
“[When on campus] I do keep spare brushes and cleaning supplies just in case a quick, non-photo worthy cleaning is needed,” McCray says.
He says he plans to commute Thursday afternoon back home to work on shoes throughout the weekend, typically cleaning three shoes per day.
After graduating, he plans to continue McCray’s Footwear Services and expand it.
“The end goal is to have a one-stop shop for apparel, restorations, customizations, tailoring and reselling,” he says.
