We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Charles Cannon a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Charles , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
After repairing a personal pair of sneakers, a family member asked me to create a custom pair of sneakers for her. While painting the sneakers, I began to feel like that kid I was back in my younger days that loved to draw and paint. Once the shoes were done, I was both shocked and amazed not by just her reation, but the reaction of others when I posted the sneaker on my social media page. Thats when I knew I had to pursue this professionally and it ended up going better than I could ever imagine.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Charles Cannon and Im a sneaker artist from Houston Tx. I spent most of my younger years there until my father moved the family to Angleton ,Tx, 15 mins away from Rosharon, Texas where he grew up. I got into the business shortly after I created a pair of custom sneakers for a family member that received alot of great feedback on social media. It eventually led to me being able to work with both NFL and NBA organizations along with gaming companies and social media influencers.
Being able to make people happy through custom sneakers is a great feeling for me because sneakers and art were my go to’s as a kid when I wanted to get away when I was younger. I would come home from school and even while in class, I would draw to take my mind off things that bothered me outside of school. I drew so much that I got in trouble because I wasnt paying attention at times in class. One minute I was drawing and when I finally looked up class was over. Its funny because now I get paid to draw and do what I live but back then I was getting reprimanded for drawing on everything in site.I believe thats one of the things that seperate me from alot of artist. That yound kid is finally able to combine my love for sneakers and art, and make others smile and not being reprimanded for it anymore. Quite a few others may have just picked up the craft because they saw someone else do it and it looked cool or just to make money, but with me its deeper than that because that young kid is able to live and do what he loves. And the thing Im so overwhelmed and happy about is that I get to see that same young kid all over again through my son, my why, Brayden.
Brayden is a very smart, bright, intelligent and very artistic kid who follows my every move! When I work he is right there with me eager to paint and learn something new. Im so proud because here he is wanting to be around his dad alot and follow in my footsteps. And what makes me even more prouder is that I can create a legacy and something I know he would be proud of and leave to him! And for that I am forever grateful to God for blessing me and his mom, my wife of 11years Angelica Cannon, with. Im so glad Im able to give him everything I didnt have as a kid both physically and emotionally!
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My main goal right now is to put myself into postion to leave my current full time job and create sneakers full time which will allow me to do what I love when I want and be with thos I love the most in this world more. Hearing my son refer to the current job I have as the “bad job” and my work I do as Illustrious Soles as the “good job” is more ammunition to push towards achieving that goal. He just loves to have his dad home and spending time with him. I give him everything he asks for because he is a great kid so why should I not give him what him and I both want which is to be at home more doing what we both love.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
I feel like society can promote artists more and not low ball them every chance they get! Artists sacrifice time they could be spending with loved ones to create and perfect their craft and to have someone try to get a piece done for little to nothing is ridiculous. Sometimes when I hear people comment about the price of an artist work whether it be a barber, sneaker artist or etc is too high, I sometimes want to reply, “well you do it then” but I refrain from doing so because I know if they knew how much time and the sacrifices that we as artists made to create and do what we do, then they to would charge differently and see where we are coming from.
Contact Info:
- Website: Illustrioussoles.com
- Instagram: IllustriousSoles
- Facebook: Charles Cannon or Illustrious Soles
- Youtube: youtube.com/@Illustrioussoles