From Super Mario to wedding designs, Skinz Time turns ordinary sneakers into one-of-a-kind works of art

John Visconti has been customizing so many sneakers he's losing count. Between 1,500 and 2,000 pairs. He takes ordinary sneakers and transforms them into a one-of-a-kind works of art. Random cartoons, anime, people ask me to paint flowers, I've done wedding designs. What began as a hobby has evolved into a thriving brand that continues to capture the attention of sneaker fans, collectors, and trendsetters. I've been drawing since I was a little kid and when I was finishing up college about 12, 13 years ago, I started painting and saw some people painting sneakers online. Thought that was really cool and decided to try it for myself. They're just Super Mario themed. Dragon Ball Z. The name was a fraternity nickname and it just ended up becoming my business name. His Skin Times brand has taken off, leading to high-profile partnerships with major companies. The devil's actually reached out to me for these ones. I mostly paint on sneakers. I've done jackets, hats, things like that. I could basically paint on any kind of sneaker, canvas, leather. People will approach me with their ideas. I'll do like a mock-up of their design. As long as the client agrees to it, then I start painting it. There's like a protective like gloss layer that they put on top of sneakers and you have to scrub it off with like acetone and then I use a special leather paint. It's waterproof, yep, it won't crack. So like as the years have gone by I've leaned more into airbrushing because I could see designs much faster than hand painting. I think a lot of people just display them to be honest with you. But you can wear them. I'd like just to be full-time at some point. I mean I've been trying for years but I'm happy doing just what I do. His sneakers have even been shipped to other countries. I've sent a few to Australia. It's just a relaxing activity, like after work. It's just a nice way to unwind. It's always nice to see how excited whoever receiving the pair gets. From big businesses to small shops, we're highlighting the people making, creating, and building something special right here at home. Join us for Made in the Tri-State, Monday at 8 p.m.