How Custom Sneakers Are Made

Every pair starts as an authentic base shoe and ends as a one-of-one — here's exactly how we get from one to the other in our Manchester, UK studio.

MattB Customs custom sneaker process guide

1. The base shoe

We're a made-to-order studio, which means we don't hold walls of stock — once your order comes in, we source the authentic base shoe (Nike, Adidas, Jordan, Converse and more) in your size before any customisation begins. Already own the pair you want customised? You're welcome to supply it yourself, as long as it's brand new — we don't work on used shoes.

2. Design and briefing

The more detail you can give us, the better — specific reference images, a brand colour match, or a concept from scratch. Our mock-up service lets our design team build it out with you, with creative guidance along the way and revisions until you're happy with the result. Once your design is signed off, you place your order and we get to work bringing it to life.

Prefer to design it yourself? Our online customiser lets you pick a base shoe and start designing straight away — add colours, patterns, materials and personalisation, place everything exactly where you want it, and preview the result before you order.

Designing a custom sneaker colourway using the MattB Customs online customiser

3. Technique

Depending on the design, your pair is worked on using one or more of our core techniques:

  • Hand-painted — custom colourways and artwork painted directly onto the shoe, sealed with a crack- and water-resistant finish.
  • Dip dye — panels or full uppers dyed in a high-heat process for deep, even colour.
  • Cut & sew — panels rebuilt in a new material (suede, leather, custom prints), cut and sewn by hand for a durable, factory-level finish.
  • Engraving & pyrography — fine detail burned or engraved directly into leather or suede panels.
  • Studs & rivets — hardware detailing added by hand for texture and edge.
  • Vinyl & lace detailing — heat-transfer vinyl and custom laces for sharper graphic work and finishing touches.

Every technique is applied by hand, by one of our in-house artists in our Manchester studio.

4. Finishing and quality check

Once the design work is done, every pair goes through a finishing pass — sealing paintwork, checking stitching and hardware, and a quality check before packaging. Shoes are shipped in their original boxes to protect them in transit.

5. Delivery

Standard turnaround is up to 15 days from order to shipped, since your base shoe is sourced fresh for your order rather than pulled from stock. Need it sooner? A rush order fee guarantees your pair is made and shipped within 7 working days — see Shipping Information for details.

Curious what something specific would look like, or cost? Start designing, or read how pricing works. You can also shop our latest drops, or get inspired and create your own.