A couple weeks back, Bensimon invited folks over at Common Thread, Powerplant for a full day of DIY-ing.

The Parisian sneaker brand is known for their colorful array of sneakers made from traditional canvas. Now, while you can easily choose what color suits your personality best, Bensimon went the extra step last month and allowed its customers to completely transform their pairs. From paint to beads, to bleach and glitter, the Common Thread store was invaded by sartorialists fixated on putting their own stamp on their feet. Take a look below.

Bensimon-DIY4

Bensimon-DIY8

My end-goal was to wear my Bennies out and pretentiously look like I’ve been painting the whole day without time to throw on clean shoes so I ended up paint-splattering a white pair. Surprise, surprise. Paint splattering is a personal favorite.  I think I succeeded with the shoe though nobody has implied or hinted at me being an artist yet. Victory will only be fully appreciated then. (Still, cute shoes though, right?)

Bensimon-DIY

I was seated at a table with super serious folks including my good friend, designer Danika Navarro, who is an all-around creative person so I think everyone became extra competitive. She used bleach on her blue pair and ended up adding beads and a touch of gold via a sharpie. Check it out below.

Bensimon-DIY2Bensimon-DIY3

Another friend seated at our table was blogger Jamon Martin who instead opted to make the sneakers stand for what he believes in. With Freedom and Respect on each shoe, I think it makes for an awesome pair and a good conversation starter. Maybe it would even score extra points with the ladies.

Bensimon-DIY6 Bensimon-DIY5Bensimon-DIY7 I had an amazing time. Events that bring out the creative (and the competitive) in me are always welcome. If you feel the urge to DIY your own pair of Bennies, I say go for it. Tag us @wecreativenatives – we’d love to see what you come up with. Meanwhile, I can’t wait to wear my pair out and finally be mistaken for someone with a studio. Or at least someone who works with a lot of paint.

Get your own Bensimon pair at Pormada.com | Reblogged from WeCreativeNatives.com