Aboriginal Boot Art: Daren Dunn - Nike T90 Laser IV
We're always on the hunt for new things going on in the world of football boots. When you take a fresh pair of Nike T90 Laser IV boots and commission the work of Aboriginal artist Daren Dunn, the result really is something else! Adding true Aussie flavour in a way only he can, this is boot customisation at its best.
Daren's work has been seen on the feet of a number of professional Australian athletes - most noticeably, Perth Glory midfielder Travis Dodd. With a growing reputation in Australian sports circles, his custom designs are attracting more and more attention. 
As soon as we heard of Daren's work, we sent him a pair of Nike T90s for him to work his magic on. His unique style is in high demand so we've been fortunate to land an exclusive design. Delicately crafted with spectacular attention to detail, each hand painted boot can take anywhere between 2 and 9 hours to complete. 
Daren first became interested in painting sports shoes from an early age. When I was playing back in my school days, I used to just colour my boots in. But I've been doing this for about nine years. But I don't just sit around painting boots every day! 
Each hand painted boot is part of a larger scheme, the 'Get Black on Ya Feet' program which is run by Daren with hundreds of kids across NSW with the aim of increasing pride and awareness in Aboriginal culture. Over 300 kids have gone through the program and are wearing their own customised boots which they paint themselves.
The hand painted boots help to express the traditions of Aboriginal heritage in a modern way. "It's about positive engagement and instead of didgeridoos, we are modernising Aboriginal traditions, bringing them into the sport and making it educational for young kids. It's not about the boots looking pretty. It's about kids seeing their role models display their culture proudly."
