Avid hip-hop, graffiti, sneakers and art fan Gary Lockwood aka Freehand Profit was born to design one of a kind creations. Pursuing his passion, Freehand Profit graduated from the Corcoran School of Art & Design with a Bachelor's in Fine Arts in 2005. By 2010, now residing in LA, Freehand Profit began creating “gas masks from deconstructed sneakers,” according to his website.
What was the first time you heard of or interacted with Reshoevn8r?
I found out about Reshoevn8r back in 2012 if I remember right. Rob [a Reshoevn8r employee] came up to me at a sneaker convention, introduced himself and told me a little about Reshoevn8r. I’m pretty sure it was just a few months later that I ran into him again in New York, that’s when I met Steve. The folks behind Reshoevn8r are a big part of why I rock with them today, a truly A+ group of people.
What was the inspiration behind the design of the canister?
The canister was inspired by the cleaning process and the attention to detail we give our shoes when cleaning them. I illustrated 2 characters wearing the sneaker masks I’ve made for Reshoevn8r. They’re underwater, deep cleaning the Reshoevn8r logo, the ever important bubbles and foam in their wake.
How long did it take you to design the canister? Can you explain a bit of your creative process?
I started with photos of the sneaker masks, the PSNY 12 mask and the Gel Lyte III mask, and then used artist model figures to decide on a pose. With the mask and body figured out I got to work illustrating the piece in Adobe Photoshop using my Wacom Cintiq - that allows me to draw directly on the screen (like an iPad with thousands of more points of accuracy).
Why should people buy your kit?
There’s a bunch of reasons to buy the Freehand Profit x Reshoevn8r kit. I’m a practical guy so first off, to clean your kicks! The art tin that the kit comes in makes a great stash spot. You also get limited edition, Freehand Profit branded items like the laundry bag and brush. I hear we even have something special in the works that’ll be a lil bonus add on to the kit.
Honestly? I overpaid for my Beluga 350s, I had to have em, paid $900 on StockX. Of course a few months later they're about half that price. Why can't the Yeezy 2s drop like that?!
I have a pair of Oreo 6s that were worn during a photo shoot at the Salton Sea. It had rained the day before and it was absolutely foul with mud from what's normally a real dusty, bio-hazard zone. I'll need a gas mask before I take a Reshoevn8r kit to them.
My parents raised me on Payless and WalMart sneakers but I got my first job at 14 to buy my own clothes and sneakers. I got my start with AF1s, Superstars and Timberlands. First pair I remember hunting was actually a pair from Akademiks.