Neuzerling began painting these shoes in January 2020, and has come up with a wide variety of designs.
Photo provided by Aubrey Neuzerling
New Hobby Has Manchester Student Going Viral on Tiktok
Alexandria Collins
Student Aubrey Neuzerling started her new hobby of custom-painted shoes during the start of the pandemic in January 2020, which led her to going viral on TikTok, an app that creates and posts videos for the public to see.
Neuzerling said that she has always been “artsy,” but she got her idea of shoe painting from another student, Gracie Schwenger. She custom paints shoes including Nike Air Force Ones, both high top and low, and Vans with designs that can be either abstract or realistic, like an image of a beloved dog.
She started by watching many videos on YouTube and logging hours of practice before opening her Etsy boutique.
Not thinking she was going to get orders from strangers, she was quickly and happily mistaken. In fact, the actor Daniel Ezra, best known for his role in All American, made a purchase.
Neuzerling made a video on TikTok of her custom order for Ezra, which gave her business even more clout, giving her lots of new customers.
So far she has been having a smooth time running her small business. “The only struggle I really have faced so far is communicating with some customers and making their ideas a reality,” she said. “I’d love to see where it takes me if I keep working hard.”
She also made it clear she is not just a shoe artist, but also customizes orders for jackets, corn hole boards, yeti/cups and more, as she is willing to add new canvases to her plate. Indeed, she thinks her coolest design is yet to come.
So far, the most interesting work she enjoyed painting was a pair of Vans with an alien theme for her friend. “I surprised one of my online friends with shoes embedded with memories from our friendship,” she said with a smile.
Neuzerling is excited to see how she can push her “artsy” side and continue to make people happy with her business.