Shoe customizer Ken has been working on the perfect Team Zissou sneakers and has put a finished batch up for sale on EBay. While the real Zissou sneakers used the now rare Adidas Rom, Ken has chosen to use the Adidas Italia. We think the finished product is quite good.
Related items: Steve Zissou’s cool shoes prove tough to fill (USA Today) | How To Make Your Own Team Zissou Shoes (Instructables.com)
The real deal:
Update: more from Ken after the break…
For those of you unfamiliar with the art of sneaker customization, here’s a breakdown of the professional process I use to create these limited edition items.
Step One: The Adidas Italia logo must be gently removed from the sneaker.
Step Two: The thin layer of wax coating covering the three stripes must be gently removed as well.
Step Three: Using a custom acrylic paint mix intended for leather use, the stripes are made to perfectly color match the sneakers in the film.
Step Four: The “Zissou” lettering is then applied by hand, in 5mm Helvetica medium condensed font, the official font used by Adidas.
Step Five: To prevent any cracking, peeling or chipping of the paint, the sneaker is coated in several layers of a special matte varnish and weather protectant.
Step Six: A pair of perfectly color-matched yellow laces (you’ll be surprised how many different yellows I’ve had to buy to find the perfect ones!) are then laced in.
Step Seven: A custom Team Zissou sticker is then applied to the box.
The sneaker used in this particular case is the Adidas Italia 74, a cousin to the out of production Rom.
Thing of beauty… I want!
There was a rumor going around (back in 2004) that the Chicago Adidas store was selling the zissou styled shoes. I never checked (because it’s 5 hours away) but a friend of mine who is reliable told me he saw them in the store… I really wish that I would have made the trek. It would have been worth the trip if it were true.
I thinkl it feels most comfortable, but I want……
If you could, please email with instructions on how to get the Adidas logo removed, and also the wax coating. It would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Is there anyway or anywhere to find a pair of these shoes? If anyone has had success with making them I would love to chat with you about how you were able to do some of the steps. Thanks a lot.
Send me your email and I will send you instructions on how to modify your shoes.
teckel@bellsouth.net
How can I join this website?
i love to shop on ebay because it is very convenient and the price are very cheap too~`-
Found a pair of addidas somoas that are perfect – collegiate blue-
would love to know the proper paint and varnish to use for the modification- sent private e-mail but thought i would throw it out here also
thanks so much
you can always get some bargain stuffs on Ebay that is why i really love ebay “”
Found two different suppliers selling “team zissou adidas” shoes on ebay. One wants $50 for them, the other wants $185 ! !!! One hundred eighty five dollars – for a pair of sneakers?!
can you give us how to customize our shoes?? I need it
Just received a pair of custom made Zissou from miadidas, the shoes used are the gazelle, so not the same model as the movie but old style too, you get to choose the colours of everything so made them the same way as the movie ones (pick downloaded from google pics) choose what you want to call them…..Zissou and then can even add some extras (yellow laces can be choosen, I added a little french flag at the back since movie made in memory of J.Cousteau…..they look pretty good and will be unique as custom made by adidas, paid 100GBP/120EUR/100USD for them…..well pleased!!! If you want pics just email me!
Not the original, not even Adidas granted… but the ‘create your own converse’ lets you go to town with the Zissou colour ways… link includes a sartorial take on the rest of the outfit too http://bit.ly/zissou
Hi, are the shoes still for sale on Ebay? I’m looking for a pair size 9.5 for men.
Hey guys how do you print “ZISSOU” on the shoes after removing the original print? Would you hand-paint it? I was thinking of getting a rubber stamp and use it with leather paint. Any help from your experience would be great