LAX Magazine - (Van Taylor Monroe (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) - April 2009)

Let's face it. Wolverine will always be the coolest of the X-Men. That's why he was the first of the clan to get his own flick—this summer's hyper-anticipated X-Men Origins: Wolverine (20th Century Fox). It's also the reason why Van Taylor Monroe has dedicated a pair of super sleek kicks to America's favorite mutant.  

The young artist and entrepreneur caught the world's attention through stunning portraits of Barack Obama that he hand-painted on Nike Air Force Ones. The hip hop community immediately took notice when Will.I.Am rocked the kicks, and then the mainstream hopped on with Van's unique Obama art landing a spot in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History. Now, the Los Angeles born artist paints personalized works of art on Nikes for clients worldwide. Wolverine is his latest and greatest creation. On these sneakers, he captures the hero's fierce, fiery, forlorn and furious soul.  

Van explains, "My game plan was to essentially make a movie trailer on a tennis shoe. I had to capture Wolverine visually and show his animalistic side in a small space." 

He definitely achieved that. The shoes have an intense level of detail and Van conveys every facet of the complex character. "Wolverine has been my favorite superhero since I was a little kid. He's not soft like a lot of the other comic book heroes who will help an old lady cross the street [Laughs]. After I saw the movie poster, I knew I had to make a tennis shoe!" 

The Wolverine shoes were a complete passion project for him, and he spent a lot of time watching and listening to the trailer to craft this visage of the legendary hero. "I went through 20 or 30 designs in my head, and then I went straight to the shoe. I let it flow out naturally. I wasn't tied down to a design sketched on a pad." 

As a result, these Wolverine sneakers look sharper than a pair of adamantium claws. —Rick Florino