Color My World: A Disco Ball Inspired Build for YMCA Atlanta

The brief was a disco ball. I wanted the whole build to reflect it.

For my collaboration with YMCA Atlanta, I created a custom sneaker and display for their Sneaker Ball. The client’s inspiration was simple and vivid: a disco ball. That gave me a direction for both pieces. The shoe could catch the light, and the display could make the idea feel complete before anyone even opened it.

The Air Force 1 became a mix of silver texture, reflective details, and clear raised accents. Purple laces and a bright orange-to-yellow lining brought color into the shine. The side carries “Color My World,” with “A Celebration of Teen Impact” beneath it. I wanted those words to stay visible amid all that sparkle.

Then came the box. I covered the display in small mirror tiles, taking the disco ball reference off the shoe and into the space around it. The reflective interior brings the sneaker back from every angle. The name appears across the front, so the presentation becomes part of the story.

That’s one of my favorite parts of a custom build: figuring out how the shoe and its presentation can speak the same language. The mirrored walls, silver surface, and color inside the shoe all answer the same brief.

Seeing the finished sneaker inside the display made the idea click. The box was not just packaging. It was an extension of the work, built to catch the light and invite people closer.

I’m grateful to YMCA Atlanta for trusting me with this vision for their Sneaker Ball. A disco ball was the starting point. The finished shoe and display became my way of reflecting the assignment back with a little ShoeBaker imagination.

Stay in motion.
Baker Bezalel | ShoeBaker

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