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by: Brittany Long
From questionable videos of ghostly shadows haunting Netherland to a corpse climbing out of its coffin, music fans around the world struggle to let Michael Jackson go. Gabe Parra, a 23-year-old designer based in Denver, Colo., is celebrating the King of Pop’s life with a custom Nike sneaker, a design he ironically completed two weeks prior to Jackson’s death.
Inspired by Jackson’s signature moonwalk, the heels feature a silhouette of the pop legend in mid-dance, complete with hat, jacket and outstretched arms. The primarily white coloration compliments the black front and back panels and laces. Faded stars and a moon on the top and upper folds also parallel the iconic music videos, playing off the idea of a moonwalk and outer space.
To Parra, Jackson was the best dancer in the world. At the age of six, Parra became an instant fan after seeing “Smooth Criminal.” Every day after school, he watched the music video on VHS in hopes of immolating Jackson’s style.
As owner, operator and designer for Filthe.net, Parra regularly finds his spark of inspiration through popular media such as a song, movie or magazine. Once inspired, Parra sketches a preliminary draft and revises until satisfied.
Around 2004, Parra commercially channeled his designing talents as he began to share his artistic creations with others. He considers Filthe.net, a one-year-old, online store selling fashion t-shirts and sneakers, a “one-man operation.” Parra singlehandedly runs the company while designing for himself and holding a day job at Stapleton Impressions.
When it comes to sneakers, Parra only creates one pair of a particular design, a practice distinguishing him from most competitors. After a full day as Stapleton’s graphic designer, Parra admits, “Now, I’m going to work.” He credited keeping Filthe up and running with being a night owl and having weekends free.
To read the rest of this article, check out our sister publication DV8 Magazine Sneaker Edition, www.deve8magazine.com
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