So, you think your schedule is busy? Jalen Thompson, a junior from Haslet, Texas, is majoring in Business Management and plays football at UT Permian Basin. Oh, and did we mention that he runs his own business customizing shoes?  Jalen took some time out of his busy schedule to talk to us and share how he got started, what his design process is like, and his goals for the future. Don't forget to check out his page on Instagram, @jttcustoms.

So how did you get started with designing sneakers? 
Designing sneakers came up as something I first did to my own shoes when I used to be bored.  I started doing that when I was around 15 years old. I am a big stickler for anything artistic or crafty and one day I decided to paint on my shoes for fun.
I started off working on old shoes and doing simple designs. My friends would people my designs on social media and then I started getting messages from people saying they wanted me to put designs on their shoes.
At first, I was nervous and unsure because creating art on a canvas is way different than on shoes. It's pretty easy to mess up someone's shoes. My friends suggested that I practice on their shoes until I got better. Once I built my confidence I started working on other people's shoes.

Are these general design sneakers or are you designing sneakers for individuals? 
When people message me and ask me to do their shoes, they'll either request a specific design or just let me freestyle for them. Eventually I would like to also make general design sneakers but that will have to wait until after I graduate.

Where do you draw the inspirations for your designs from? 
Typically, people will send me pictures and ask if I can create something similar on their shoes. It's kind of like how getting a tattoo works.
Once people show me the images they want or if they want a freestyle, I ask them about what shoe they want it done on and the colors they want to work with. This helps me brainstorm on how to fit the images together and what would look best.

So, designing the sneakers, is this something you do in the summer? If this is year-round, that has to be tough doing business, going to school and playing football at UTPB.  How do you manage it without going crazy? 
Customizing shoes is a year-round thing for me and people are always welcome to reach out to me. Doing shoes while being so busy can be hard but I always tell customers that I will work on their shoes piece by piece on weekdays, but I do a majority of my work on the weekends. I like to get ahead of my schoolwork so that after I get done with football, I can focus on the shoes.
I thought it would be hard to manage doing shoes on top of football and school, but I think I have done a great job at being able to do it. With my love of art, I find making the shoes as a break and a stress reliever from everything else which is why I never complain about doing the work.

How much of the business process do you control? 
My customers provide me with the shoes and I run and control everything else myself. I have my own machine and stencils to help me create all the artwork for the shoes. I have a business/Instagram account where most people reach out to me. I am also the one that negotiates the prices depending on the order they ask for.

What do your family and friends think about this? 
They think it's cool and interesting! It's something I love to do so they support me. They also think that it's a good way of making money since I don't have enough time to have a job.
My friends help me advertise and show off my work, so I'm thankful for that.

The big question WHY?  What is it that you like about doing this? 
The reason why I love doing it so much is because there are so many possibilities that come from designing shoes. I like that it helps with my thinking, my concentration, and other personal attributes. I love the entire process and being able to see people's reactions when they like my work, that's the best. It makes me feel that I am making a difference in people's clothing style.
It also helps with my professional speaking skills and other professional attributes, because I am learning how to run my own business. It is more than just a side job to me now, it's a living that I am happy with and hope to continue.