South’s Shoe Painter

Senior Laurel Burns uses her artistic talents in a unique way–to paint shoes.

Many different artists walk the halls of South, however the reputation of South’s shoe painter is building. 

Laurel Burns, senior, was able to channel her artistic ability and put them to use in a very unique way. 

“One day I was going through my shoes and came across my white vans that I never wear anymore, and tried to think of how I could make them wearable again,” Burns said.

With an original aspiration of creating art that would be hung in buyers houses, Burns switched her ambition to having her craft being worn instead.

“My favorite part about painting shoes is seeing that my art makes people happy. I love to see their reaction when I give them their shoes,” Burns said. 

One of her more recent customers, Garrett Lee, senior, found Burns work to be “unique, satisfactory, and reliable,”.

Lee said, “My favorite thing about her work just has to be how good her line work is, and the fact that I can look over my whole shoe and not find one mistake,”.

While Burns has painted multiple pairs of shoes, she expects her business to expand once she goes to college.

“In college, I definitely think I could start a better business and get the money that I want for them,” Burns said.

South has its very own shoe painter walking its halls, and she will continue to create masterpieces, one shoe at a time.