For any given industry there's always the tour de force that lurks behind major moves, decisions, trends and groundbreaking styles. That force is usually an individual who possesses the ability to influence and enhance any given situation, but rarely gets the credit that they deserve. While they're not solely responsible for the trends and movements as a whole, they're among the most influential tastemakers who have a heavy hand in what makes it and what flops. In short, they've got juice.
These are the designers, tastemakers and marketing gurus who sit behind the shadow of major brands, but sooner or later everything comes to light. Things are no different for Ben Baller when it comes to the shoe game. For years now, he's established himself as a pioneer in the shoe game, and his collection of shoes reflects not only a personally vested interest, but also his seriousness in the game. He's laid low from the American media and chose to keep his life on the private tip, but now he's out to shine and let people know what he's doing and where he's headed.
If you haven't heard of him, you soon will because Ben is making his mark as someone true to the game and not new to the game. He currently holds the record for the most expensive shoe, and most expensive collection of shoes, sold in eBay history, and he's a powerhouse known internationally for his confident demeanor. It's with due respect that he's about to start an empire banking on what he does best and that's setting trends.
So right about now you're probably asking what this article has to do with art and we'll tell you that it has a lot to do with art. For starters, shoes have come a long way from being a mode of transportation; they're now an art form (or a mobile gallery, if you will) which goes where you go and expresses the style and flair of each individual owner. Shoes nowadays embody an artistic creativity which includes everything from custom colorways to more intricate designs which are all creatively targeted towards the demographic that they want to sell you to. You've got shoes infused with Chicano art all the way to shoes that are custom made to celebrate teams, holidays and even your favorite artists.
So let's get back into the mix of things and see what Ben Baller has to say about the shoe game and where it's headed.