Meet Erica Anderson, reluctant artist, and her amazing shoes

By Amanda Mears

April 16, 2008 | Pressing play on her iPod, 20-year-old Erica Anderson settles down cross-legged in a makeshift basement studio and reaches for the box of shoes next to her. Her short white-blond hair bobs and sways to the intricate folk music that is pouring out of tiny speakers. Pulling out a single white canvas sneaker, she starts to sketch out five familiar faces with delicate pencil strokes- John, Paul, George and Ringo.

Four hours and 52 songs later, The Beatles' perfect likeness graces the once plain sneakers. These ones will go to a guy in California who said he saw Anderson's designs on her MySpace page and wanted a pair for himself.

Born and raised in South Jordan, Utah, Anderson said she has considered herself an "artist" since her sophomore year at Bingham High School, when she sold her first painting. It wasn't until recently, however, that she ventured into the world of apparel.

"A few friends of mine wanted to just buy plain canvas slip-on Vans and customize them but they didn't know what to put on them," Anderson said. "I volunteered to paint something and it turned out really well."

Anderson said that after other people started inquiring about the shoes she decided to set up an Ebay store and sell them online. She said she uses acrylic paints and Sharpie markers to create the designs, some of which are sent to her and some of which she creates on her own. After finishing the shoes, Anderson said she coats them with a layer of waterproofing enamel so they don't fade.

So far, Anderson's clients include friends, band members who scouted her out and a girl who wanted her own face on a pair of shoes.

"It was really random," Anderson said. "This girl asked me to paint shoes with her face on them and she liked it so much that she sent me like an XXL plain white shirt and wanted her girlfriend's face painted on it."

Anderson currently charges around $115 a pair, depending on how long it takes her. However, she said she is considering raising her prices as she figures out how much people will pay for them. Anderson although the price may seem steep, it is actually relatively low as far as customized shoes go.

According to the website www.yourkicks.net, which hires artists to design custom Vans, the running price for a pair of their unique sneaker starts at $245.

Erik Taylor, 21, owns a pair of Vans Anderson made for him featuring cover art from the band Mae and said he would have gladly paid even more for the shoes he received.

"I love them I think it's worth the price," Taylor said. "Vans alone are like $50 and it was cool to be able to say exactly what I wanted.

Anderson said she would like to expand her business, but is keeping small because she does not know how copyright laws affect what she does. Anderson said she has tried to find information about the legal technicalities on using images of a band, but is not sure where to look.

To avoid any complications stemming from violated copyright laws, Anderson said she is trying to focus more on making her own designs to reproduce on the shoes. From abstract flowers to a collage of moustaches, Anderson said her own designs are starting to sell just as well as the band-themed shows.

Uncurling from her position on a large couch black leather, Anderson begins cleaning up the array of brushes and pens she uses as tools. The couch sits wedged between a wrought iron table covered with tile remnants and a large wire sculpture made of trash, both are projects Anderson said she started but never finished. Clad in tight black jeans, a band tee smudged with rainbow colored paint, and a dozen necklaces, Anderson pushes over a stack of various canvases are propped up against a cement wall to make room for her tote full of various markers, paints and cans of enamel.

"Right now all my stuff is just kind of everywhere. I've been moving back and forth, so I don't have a place for it," Anderson said. "My parents are getting sick of it though, so I need to find a real place to store it quick."

Currently, Anderson said she is living with her parents while she figures out what she wants to do with art.

"There's no point in going to school right now," Anderson said. "I'm making money as an artist already, but until I figure out what I really want to do as a career, it's a waste of money."

Although Anderson said she enjoys doing freelance art, she does not love it enough to pursue it as a career.

"I don't look at art as something that is a creative outlet or a passion," said Anderson. "It's just making something that looks nice and that people enjoy."

Instead, Anderson said she would rather pursue a degree in international business. Anderson is currently a student at the University of Utah and said her major changes frequently, but she is convinced she has found her niche in international business. It’s either that, Anderson said, or become a clogger.

"Most people don't even know I clog," said Anderson, laughing, "but I'm actually pretty good."

Anderson said she has traveled to Beijing, Paris, Italy and South America representing the United States in clogging competitions.

Pulling open a mirrored closet door, Anderson unveils a mountain of dresses she has worn in clogging competitions. From sequined leotards to enormous Swiss-inspired skirts, Anderson said she has amasses quite the collection. Buried in the stack of over 50 costumes, Anderson pulls out a cowboy hat covered in rhinestones. "We have to wear stuff like this all the time," she said. "People in other countries love it."

Although she is getting married in May and will not be able to travel with her clogging team this summer, Anderson said she hopes to keep on traveling the world and building her love of dancing and experiencing other cultures into a real career.

"It takes a lot of work, but I love meeting so many unique people and getting a new perspective every time I travel," Anderson said.

For more information visit Anderson’s MySpace page.

MS
MS