Quentin Southall, a young man with curly black hair, sits a table painting a pair of high-top sneakers with an image of Tyler Haynes Commons and Westhampton Lake. His basketball jersey hangs in the background.
By Matthew Dewald, photo by Jamie Betts
March 1, 2024

Lives Of Purpose

The shoe fits

Quentin Southall, ’24, turns the shoes that athletes wear into art. Then he sells them online because he’s a small-business owner, too (see more here). Success, he writes on his website qscustomsneakers.com, “is about finding joy in the things that matter most, living authentically, and savoring the freedom that comes from pursuing one’s passions.” His story, he continues, “serves as a reminder that the pursuit of passion knows no bounds.” See more of his work on Instagram: @qscustomsneakers.
A pair of sneakers hand painted with red and gold paisley designs sitting in the grass.
A pair of sneakers hand painted with a version of the painting of God and Adam by Michaelangelo from the Sistine Chapel, but the figures depicted on the shoes are both black. The shoes are floating against a blue sky and clouds backdrop.
A pair of sneakers hand painted with a black man with short dreadlocks and black leather vest in front of a landscape with mountains and a pink sky. The words
A pair of sneakers with
A pair of high top sneakers including insoles, painted with the characters and the logo from the movie Space Jam.
a pair of high top sneakers painted with rainbow gradients and the words
A pair of cleats painted with the Hollywood sign and images of retro movie theater marquees.
A pair of sneakers painted with images of Fender Stratocaster guitars and the works