Kickin’ it to college

Sweatpants, t-shirts and hats are no longer enough to represent your college. Instead, customized shoes are the way to show your school off, and seniors Hailey Devita and Mary Fant can help with their new shoe business.

Devita and Fant are both members of the National Art Honors Society and active students in numerous art classes at West Essex. Their Instagram account @hmcollegekicks has taken off and they are getting more business offers day by day. The girls use their art skills and creativity to draw college themes and logos on brand name shoes such as Vans, Converse and Adidas.

“It’s fun to arrange logos and creative patterns,” Devita said. “It’s relaxing for me after a long day.”

The girls saw other businesses on Instagram and were inspired by the creative idea. They thought a lot of people at West Essex would like these shoes and they could use their hobby to create something big. They have sold a dozen pairs since September and the demand for them is on the rise.

“I expect nothing less from these talented and creative individuals,” Art teacher Ms. Amanda Procaccino said. “I want in on the business.”

“It takes Mary a lot faster to draw them than me because she just sits down and does it,” Devita said. “I don’t work on it all at once, I usually just do it after my homework.”

Devita and Fant divide their share of work evenly and try to make sure they get a pair done in time for their customers. This can be a difficult task and a long process, so they need to make sure they make enough profit from it. For each pair of shoes, depending on the brand, they charge between $100 and $130.

“Before I start drawing, I look at the school,” Fant said. “I look up their logos, their colors and their big sporting events. I also ask the customer what they want because sometimes they want specific things.”

Some colleges they have drawn for are Tulane, Montclair State, Brown, University of Central Florida and the University of Miami. Not all of their clients are from West Essex because their business has spread to other high schools.

Fant and Devita plan to draw their own shoes for their future colleges. Devita will be attending Villanova in the fall and will be wearing her designs.

“I’m really going to miss all my friends when they leave for college,” Fant said. “But at least they can bring a part of me with them.”