“My son gonna be a rapper.”

I heard That Mexican OT tell a story about his mother, Sophie, in an interview. He was failing his classes, and when that was brought to her attention, she stood behind him. The line that stayed with me was, “Fuck this school, my son gonna be a rapper.”

That was what I built this pair around. A nod to his mother and the belief she had in him. I wanted to take that moment from his story and put it into something he could hold and wear.

From the workbench

The process photos show the build coming together: the engraved details on the white leather, the separate pieces before assembly, and the purple accents that bring the finished pair together.

The box was part of it

I made him an engraved shoebox too, with a custom grill on the box. I wanted the presentation to carry the same personality as the shoes.

Almost a year later

Making the pair was one part of the journey. Getting it to him took almost a year. He was always traveling, and we kept going back and forth trying to make it happen. At one point, he told me he thought I was trolling him. He wanted the shoes, but we had not been able to get them into his hands.

When he finally got them, his reaction was gold.

What I remember most about the timing is that it lined up with the music he was preparing in honor of his mother. I had not planned that connection. I made the shoes because her words stayed with me, and by the time they reached him, that tribute felt even more meaningful.

I named this portfolio story Sophie’s Son, after his album project dedicated to his mother. It brings the story back to where this pair began: a mother believing in her son.

Album background: Sophie’s Son, dedicated to his mother.