Meet Eric Jenkins | Shoe Customizer and clothing designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eric Jenkins and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eric, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
“The best is made when Noone is looking” thus quote reminds me that all the hard work is done behind closed doors when you’re alone. People see the finished product but not the 1000 of mistakes, hours, and stumbling blocks.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
So my art work is done on shoes and clothing mostly. I am able to take a theme or thought and put it on a canvas for people, which is a shoe or piece of clothing. One of the biggest things I had to overcome was taking pride in my work. I would compare myself to professional who had been doing this for 10 plus years and I was just starting out. I’ve learned the every shoe Customizer has their own unique style and that’s what makes it so special. People can tell who did the art just by the style. I also have an upcoming clothing brand called Unnecessary Necessities Apparel. Im just starting this project and have clothing in production right now. It’s a different ball game finding suppliers and logos, knowing what crowds to target and marketing. It’s a lot of work and patience. Getting licensing, EIN, bank accounts, website, and photographers just to name a few things.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I take them to Fort Carson, me being a Veteran and where I come from we don’t really get a chance to go to a military base and get that whole experience. Next we would go to Garden of the Gods, shooting range, the malls in the Springs and the malls in Denver. Places to eat would be Five Guys, Juicy Seafood, Cheddars, and Qdoba is always a must. I would also take them to the AF Academy, and we would definitely go to multiple Walmarts(my favorite store).

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First I would thank God for giving me this talent. Next an instagramer who goes by @chadcantcolor his work is always something I go back to and admire. His style is unique and made me really get into the shoe Customizing business.

Instagram: @SpringsDapper and @una_apparel21

Facebook: Dapper design…which is a group page