Meet Kenton Hoppas: Innovating with Shoe Illustrations

With the stroke of a marker, a big imagination, and a bit of wit, we give you Kenton Hoppas, an illustrator that many would describe as a mixture of Keith Haring and Mr. Doodle.

For over 20 years, Kenton doodled on almost everything, ranging from helmets, surfboards, clothing, and more. He stated, “he draws on anything that's not nailed to the floor and some things that are.” He works his magic through diverse experiences with artistic mediums and unconventional canvases.

Kenton received a degree in Technical Graphics from Purdue University where he realized that he wanted to begin his journey as an illustrator. His style comes from what feels natural to him and it stems from doodling his whole life. He practiced everywhere, from school, church, sitting in restaurants, etc. Kenton explained that “I try to create art that draws a person, not into one image but the whole composition in its little piece what is self-discovery.”

On a flight to Oregon to visit a friend, Kenton discovered Samuel Hubbard. Sitting in a tight airline seat browsing through Southwest Magazine he saw a Hubbard ad that he fell in love with. Luckily, he had two markers in his pocket. The results were a unique and inspired design on one of our top selling shoes- the Dress Fast. This created incredible buzz on social media, and the Samuel Hubbard team took notice.

He would later describe it as a natural reaction to our shoes.“I kept seeing Samuel Hubbard ads and was captived by the photography, the lighting, and wherever I saw the shoes in magazines I’ll start drawing on them.”

After the Samuel Hubbard team saw Kenton’s ad illustration, we immediately reached out and he customized a pair of Hubbard Fast. He used our “Where To” theme of adventure, including pursuing passion and curiosity to created a passport (or getaway) for your feet.

After all the emails and direct messages, we finally had the opportunity to meet Kenton Hoppas. we invited him to our fall/winter catalog photo shoot to model the shoes he illustrated. During the shoot, Kenton did something incredible. He created a free-hand work of art on an 8 feet canvas in 15 minutes. Yeah, 15 minutes. He left everyone very impressed.

Kenton’s innovative artistry is something Samuel Hubbard celebrates. It’s no surprise why he’s one of our favorite innovators. His artistic journey compliments our craftsmanship and we’re proud to work alongside him to celebrate the unique adventure that begins with a pair of shoes.

To get to know Kenton Hoppas follow him on Instagram at @KentonHoppas or check out www.KentonsWorld.com