Shoe artist Marvin Baroota has been known to slip into DMs: “I messaged Shareef O’Neal, Shaq’s son, and asked him to connect me to Angel Reese.” The Sky star wound up donning several Reeboks that Baroota decorated for her, featuring themes like Barbie and Juneteenth. A Reese’s Pieces one even went viral. Baroota has done work for other athletic royalty (including the Bears’ Jaylon Johnson for the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats program), and for $300 to $500, you, too, can commission him. Working out of his Des Plaines studio under the banner of SoLegit, Baroota hand-embellishes with acrylic paint and sometimes exotic leathers. He prefers creative freedom. Translation: Don’t give too much direction. “It keeps the process genuine.” Reach him via Instagram (@marvinbaroota).
