We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jeff Puryear. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jeff below.

Jeff, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

It’s hard to narrow it done to one single project. The way that I structure my business and choose the projects to take on always have a deeper meaning at the forefront than just cool looking shoes. I’ll talk about two collaborators (not customers) that I worked with. I had a woman reach out to me explaining that she chose to work with a larger company on a pair of shoes for her wedding day and they told her at the last minute that they couldn’t finish the shoes in time. She wanted me to help her with a pair, but it would need to be a rush job. I typically don’t like to rush my work, but I pictured this woman without her special shoes, feeling down on her wedding day, and I couldn’t have that. I knocked out a pair for her that she loved and she wore them down the aisle. Things like that are worth more than money. When they look back on that day, which will be etched in her memory forever, my creation will be a part of that. Money comes and goes, but memories are what creates a legacy. I not only want the art to speak for me, but the entire experience from idea to creation. There was another collaborator that asked me to create his and her pairs for his girlfriend. However, I didn’t know that he planned on proposing. I lost my mind when he sent me the engagement photos with him and his fiancé wearing my creations. That is a different level of trust and appreciation that goes far beyond any dollar amount. The whole idea behind custom shoes is to provide the opportunity to create something meaningful to you that no one else has (all of my pairs are 1 of 1, not to be duplicated). If a pair doesn’t have meaning, it may as well be from the local shoe store.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I come from a very creative family. My father and uncle were artists. My cousins are famed artists (Martin and Alex Puryear). My first job at age 12 (I had to have my mom sign a work permit) was creating art for sale through a summer program called Gallery 37. It has always been in me to create. I have been producing videos and doing photography for over 20 years and always had an interest in sneakers, as a collector. When the pandemic hit I was unable to go out and shoot video. Unfortunately, just because the world shut down, doesn’t mean my creativity did as well. I would pace around the house during quarantine. Theres actually video of me riding a bike in circles around the garage, it was bad, haha. I needed a new creative outlet. I thought to myself, I’ve always wanted to get back into painting like during Gallery 37 and I have nothing but time now. However, I always look for things off the beaten path so I didn’t want to do traditional art on canvas. I took my love for sneakers and need to create and started making my own pairs. As I posted my pairs, I noticed a lot of people asking how they could get a pair and PuryearCreative was born. In the beginning it was just for me. A personal form of therapy, which in a way it still is, but now I’m able to share my talent with the public.

The story comes first, the look comes second. My approach at custom sneakers is to make sure they have a meaning or story behind them. Why should celebrities or professional athletes be the only ones allowed to express themselves through footwear? I can’t go to a major footwear brand and say “Can you guys make a pair based on my teams championship game in 1982?” Is my story or your story any less important? Not at all. I know what it’s like to want to be seen. To know you have something great to say or show, but feel overlooked is torture, so I just want to use my gift to help others feel seen. I have collaborators, never customers. My shoes are a team effort where your input is just as important as my skill in producing the final product. Ultimately, someone will cherish a pair more knowing that it has a personal meaning to them and they were part of the creation of this shoe versus picking one off the shelf because its new and cool looking. I’ve done shoes based off wedding themes, first dates, elementary schools, moments in black history, childhood heroes, even a pair celebrating the 30 year work anniversary for the head of Taco Bell. If it’s important to you, it’s important to me. I’m just using my gift to piece together the story into a tangible product. You will appreciate the art more and all artists love genuine appreciation.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Honesty and being genuine. Most of the people I’ve worked with I consider extended family. I understand that they are taking a chance on me and I cherish that. The longer I get into my field, I notice the shortcuts, the gimmicks, the schemes people run, and while it may be beneficial for them monetarily, I’m big on karma and what I put out into the world. I keep an open line of communication with my collaborators. It is art, and it is only me…for now. If I need more time for a project, I’ll be honest and ask for it, because quality takes time. If the idea you have isn’t something I’m comfortable doing, let’s talk about a different way to do it. I genuinely want to see us both win, not just make a sale.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Word of mouth has been the best marketing tool for me. It’s pretty simple, you do good work, treat people right, don’t be a money hungry scumbag and the world will vouch for you. If someone can walk away from an experience with me feeling good about themselves and the investment they made with me, that feeling is contagious. Other people see that and want to be a part of it. Social media is a great tool to spread your message and business, but it will take more than just posting on your own page to reach the world. You need good people out there spreading the word for you when you don’t have time to post daily. Most financial gurus tell you to seek out passive income, well passive promotion is just as important for a brand to grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.PuryearCreative.com
• Instagram: @PuryearCreative
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-puryear-b44b80226

Image Credits
Tiffany Hunter Rain E. Night Photography www.rainenightphotography.com