From Trenton streets to international galleries, FlyKickz transforms sneakers into art
For internationally known artist FlyKickz, every sneaker tells a story. Many of them begin in Trenton, where her father’s collection sparked a lifelong passion that became a career.
Her story not only inspires young Trentonians to see what they can become, but she also gives back to Trenton.
Artworks creative director, Addison Vincent, shared the value FlyKickz offers to the community: “FlyKickz’s impact on Trenton goes beyond her art—she gives back with intention, generosity, and heart. Whether she’s mentoring young creators, donating her time to community projects, or using her platform to uplift local voices, FlyKickz consistently invests in the people around her. Her commitment to empowering others has become a vital thread in the fabric of Trenton’s arts community.”
FlyKickz is a New York-based artist whose artwork has traveled the world and carries the message, “If I could survive in Trenton, then I can make it anywhere.”
“When I was a little girl, I remember walking in the streets of the Wilbur section with my father and just being in awe of his sneakers,” said the Trenton native. “That’s actually how my name FlyKickz came about. When I was a little girl, I was convinced that my dad was as cool as he was because of the fly kicks that he was wearing.”
Before she discovered that upcycling sneakers was her passion, she took her poetry across Trenton. “I wanted to be a writer before I became FlyKickz. I actually wanted to be a poet. I would do poetry slams,” later adding, “and I would win!”
She graduated from Trenton Central High School in 2003 and went to New York to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology for a year until she decided it wasn’t for her. In 2008, she started using sneakers as art. “I actually started off as a sneaker customizer. I was living in Queens at the time, and sneaker customizing was a really huge thing”.
When FlyKickz told her mom that that’s what she wanted to do, it was a pivotal moment in her career: “[My mom] turned around and looked at me in the back seat and she said, ‘You know, even as a kid, I kept you in a pair of fly kicks,”
Eventually, FlyKickz realized sneaker customizing was a saturated market, and she needed to do something different. “I remember vividly sitting down one day and watching Edward Scissorhands for like the millionth time. And I was just in awe of how Edward had the ability to turn mayhem into something beautiful. And I was like, I could do that with sneakers. I could be the Edward Scissorhands of sneakers.”
In her studio, FlyKickz uses medical scalpels and heavy-duty scissors to transform Nikes into a work of art on canvas. Her work became a reflection of herself; it wasn’t just about whether something would sell or not; “what people think about me is none of my business”, she said. “I come from a space of this is what feeds my soul.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, FlyKickz raised funds on social media to assemble art supply bags, which she delivered to families. She saw the smiling faces of children and parents, and she’s continued giving back to the community to this day: “I knew that I wanted that to become part of who I was and what I stood for as FlyKickz as well.”
In 2023, FlyKickz held a sneaker-customizing workshop in Trenton, where art supplies and a free lunch were provided for youth. She did it not only to offer young people a creative outlet, but also to help the youth foster connections with each other.
“I just saw different versions of myself in these children,” said FlyKickz. “I hope to continue to work towards getting funding to do more youth art workshops and do more of those community-related endeavors.”
Originally published in Trenton Journal’s Fall 2026 Collector’s Edition, “Standing On Business,” celebrating Trenton’s entrepreneurs. Get your copy at Classics Used Book Store, Out of Step Offbeat Boutique at the Trenton Farmers Market, or online at TrentonJournal.com.
