“These CoD Champion Shoes are My Favorite to Date” — Designer KidWiseman on Outfitting the CDL 2023 Champs

The CDL Champs 2023 Winners took home some custom kicks, and we spoke to the man that designed them

Evan Farrell, aka KidWiseman is a custom apparel designer, and after working with some of the biggest NBA stars such as Dwayne Wade, Stephan Curry and Luka Donic, along with some of the biggest brands including Verizon, Netflix, and many more, he was most recently the brains behind the custom CDL Champs 2023 kicks.

We spoke with KidWiseman about the design process, his love of Call of Duty, and the experience of having his design awarded to the 2023 Call of Duty League champion New York Subliners.

KidWiseman

What is your history with Call of Duty?

I’ve been a fan of CoD since the first game came out, and it’s still one of my favorites. The online team component was a game changer when it debuted, and I personally love how interactive the game has become.

What inspired the design for this collab? Can you tell us a bit more about the process of creating a design for a partner like this?

I knew that these shoes were to be awarded to the Champions. So I immediately thought, “How can I make these just as cool to place in a trophy case as they would be to wear?”Black and gold quickly became the colors of choice. As we looked at shoe options, I landed on all-white Jordan Air Force 1. In this case, everything with color would be hand-painted. Anything that wasn’t painted and left white would complement the rest of the design.

KidWiseman's Custom CDL Champs 2023 All White Jordan Air Force 1's

KidWiseman

I have a background in advertising and design, so I prefer to present digital mock-ups before I hand-paint anything so that all parties have a clear understanding of what’s coming. For the pattern, I presented several options before we made our final decision. We landed on a war pattern that’s a mix between camouflage and animal print inspired by the patterns you’d see in the game on the equipment.

For this design, I worked in layers. I started painting all the gold panels, then the black panels, and finally the pattern.

What was the most difficult part of creating this design?

Coming up with the initial design is always the most challenging. Leather shoes in general can be extremely difficult because there is no room for error. As an artist concepting a brand solution, you must take the process one step at a time and be very confident and patient with not only painting but drying as well. Any drop of paint or incorrect brushstroke could ruin the piece. You have to get in the zone, relax, and execute.

We would love to learn a bit more about your background. How did you get into this style of art? How long have you been designing custom shoes? What are some of the pieces you’re most proud of?

I have an extensive background in advertising. I’ve worked as a Creative Director in this space for over 10 years. I started KidWiseman as a passion project in 2015 to create opportunities for inspiring young creatives. Art funding has been cut drastically, so we started taking on large productions and community wall projects teaching students all aspects of a production because they are being denied these resources in most schools. I team up with professionals in the industry to teach not just spray paint but lighting, design, videography, aerial cinema etc.

I’ve been designing custom shoes for about 5 years.

The KidWiseman style has evolved over the years. However, each project varies depending on the client’s goals and needs. I strive to meet these needs while also directing the vision in my style. For these shoes, I knew they needed to not only represent CoD champions, but also be attractive to the players and COD demographic.

KidWiseman has evolved into three main facets: custom apparel, community projects, and live performances.

The shoes I’m most proud of are the series I designed for NBA All-Stars Dwayne Wade, Luka Doncic, Donovan Mitchell, and Stephen Curry. They were customized to each player’s personality. However, these CoD champions' shoes are now my favorite design to date. I love the balance of simplicity and power that these portray.

KidWiseman

What was it like seeing your design awarded to the best Call of Duty team in the world?

This was absolutely insane to see. COD has always been one of my favorite games. I’m very proud of the shoe design, so seeing the shoes I designed held up at this level was very rewarding in itself.

What’s one thing you wish the average sneakerhead knew about the custom shoe design process?

It’s not an easy process but the end result is so rewarding. It’s one thing to buy shoes but it’s another to be able to create them. It’s an indescribable feeling seeing someone else wearing the apparel you designed.