At first glance, you're not sure if Chris Campbell's over-the-top high heels are meant to be worn on the street or sitting on display at a dessert museum. After seven years as a sneaker designer, Campbell decided to ditch streetwear for sweet wear, turning decadent desserts — donuts, red velvet cake, ice cream sundaes — into women's shoes that only look edible. "I must have eaten 20 donuts in a couple days — all for research," says Campbell, who owns the Orlando, Florida-based company Shoe Bakery. "I had to study their texture, color, the way the sprinkles formed. What?! I wasn't gonna let them go bad!"
With acrylic and paintbrushes, Campbell decorates plain heels with intricate designs that look eerily similar to real frosting, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream. "When I was a sneaker designer, I specialized in texture and making something seem like it wasn't." That explains why nailing a super-realistic ice cream sundae is no big deal for this guy.
All that labor-intensive hand decorating comes at a price: The decadent heels cost $250 a pair. Campbell's always dreaming up new designs, which means he's often hitting up dessert menus for inspiration. No matter the trend — neon drip cakes, naked cakes, upside-down ice cream cone cakes a la Katherine Sabbath — Cambell's ready to tackle it all. "There's no dessert I can't do," he says.
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