These Shoes Were Made for Viewing

They can put a man on the moon, so why not a painting on a shoe?

Thanks to a new technology, they can. Icon Shoes, a Santa Monica company, has just introduced a limited edition of loafers sporting the paintings of artists such as Chuck Arnoldi, Lita Albuquerque, Peter Alexander, Karen Carson and Gustav Klimt. And for worshipers of iconic household goods, there are logo shoes bearing the designs of Tide detergent boxes and cans of Campbell’s tomato soup.

How, you ask?

First, the image is scanned into a computer, then it is printed onto a paper-thin sheet and examined for color, quality and size. (That way, every shoe gets the same design, whether it’s a size 5 or 9.) The image is transferred to flat leather, which is then cut. This explains why the shoes, for men and women, sell for $250 or $260 a pair. Signed and numbered shoes cost $375.

The shoes were created by filmmaker and artist Peter Traynor. They are available at https://www.iconshoes.com, Fred Segal Feet, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Planet Blue and Nordstrom in Costa Mesa.