Mary Arsenault
The Stinger
Mary Arsenault
Baltimore, United States of America
The Stinger
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Product Details
As a fully self-taught artist, imposter syndrome gets the best of me more often than not. It can get in the way of things like, say, creating a custom sneaker for a competition (totally hypothetical of course). As I was trying to come up with my design for my Flo Tros, I went through about 3 different ideas, and scrapped each one because I either didn't think it was good enough, or didn't think I was good enough to do it justice.
As I was getting frustrated with myself for feeling this way, I decided to come up with a way to visualize all of these feelings. The front of the sneakers is covered with a scribble pattern that I drew myself. The scribbles represent the way I feel my brain looks when trying to work through the parts of myself that are saying I'm not good enough. On top of the scribbles is a cloud texture. This represents the anxiety, and the way that all of these feelings cloud my judgement and prevent me from working to my full capabilities.
On top of these patterns on the side of each shoe is a red and white scorpion. Long story short, I spent a month working in a rainforest in Costa Rica. I didn't check my mosquito net properly one night before bed, and woke up to a scorpion crawling on my leg out of my shorts. As much as I freaked out, it never stung me. When I thought about how crazy that was (and how lucky I was), I decided to do some research.
Although scorpions are viewed as vicious poisonous monsters, they only attack when attacked. In some cultures, they even represent strength, resilience, and adaptability to change. I have a scorpion tattoo on my arm, which serves a reminder to myself to stay confident but kind, and to not get in my own way.
Finally, the Maryland flag pattern on the back of the shoes. I was born and raised in Maryland, and I absolutely love it here. "Why is everyone from MD so obsessed with their flag?" Because it's cool. Period.
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Now available to own
Following an exhibition in San Francisco on February 20th, 2026, the Art of the Game Collection is available to purchase.
A historic collection uniting the vanguard of artists from the US and Europe. One hundred visionary creators were selected to immortalise the iconic Under Armour Curry 1 Low FloTro.
This is a finite series of 1-of-1 sneaker sculptures - impossible to replicate and designed to appreciate. The ultimate acquisition for the serious collector - a chance to secure a permanent place in sneaker and sports culture history.
Mache Runner -
Jordan - AJ 1 High
