Created in partnership with Rakuten, brought together thousands of custom sneaker artists from across the US and Europe. With Rakuten’s support, the competition became one of the largest creator-driven sneaker showcases ever produced, giving emerging artists a platform on a global stage. From thousands of entries, just 100 creators were shortlisted by a world-class judging panel featuring leaders across sport, design, music, and sneaker culture. These Top 100 designs formed the Art of the Game Official Collection - a rare, curated snapshot of sneaker culture at its most innovative. The journey concluded in San Francisco, where the finalists were flown out for a filmed finale with the Judges. This finale marked a milestone moment: a celebration of creators, culture, and the evolution of custom sneakers as a legitimate art form. Now, for the first time ever, you can own a piece of this history. Each Top 100 sneaker - whether the original pair or a made-to-order version in your size - represents a creator who rose above thousands to earn their place in this landmark Rakuten x Stephen Curry series. This isn’t just a sneaker. It’s a piece of the Art of the Game legacy - and a chapter in the future of sneaker culture.
UPSIDEDOWN
Product Details
“UPSIDE / DOWN – Two Realities, One Choice”
This project was inspired by Stranger Things, but it goes beyond the series itself. It’s a reflection on the duality within all of us — the tension between light and darkness, creation and destruction, hope and despair.
UPSIDE represents the visible world, the part of us made of dreams, movement, and color. Its bright tones, glowing lines, and floating planets symbolize energy and rebirth — the decision to remain open, curious, and alive even when everything feels uncertain.
DOWN is the mirror image of that same reality, but consumed by shadows. The red lightning, dark clouds, and burning planet embody the inner chaos we all carry — the fears, anger, and pain that test our strength. It’s the side we rarely show, but that defines who we are when no one is watching.
Together, these two shoes tell one story — not about opposition, but about balance. There is no light without darkness, no courage without vulnerability. The border between the two isn’t a wall, but a mirror: it reflects the daily choice between surrendering to the dark or using it as fuel to rise again.
In my work, color becomes emotion — a language that connects thought and instinct. Through contrast and energy, “UPSIDE / DOWN” speaks about the human condition itself: the constant fight to find meaning between chaos and clarity, pain and beauty.
It’s my way of saying that true creation doesn’t come from perfection, but from facing your own shadows — and still choosing to create light.
Read the full story of the artwork
This product has been made by the Creator previously and is part of their amazing portfolio. The Creator has listed this item as available to remade for clients.
Additional customisation elements may be available.
Own The Art. Wear The Story.
Discover the Top 100 sneakers from the CANVVS Global Competition - designs hand-picked by our judges from thousands of entries worldwide. Each pair is created by a rising creator pushing the boundaries of art, culture and sneaker design.
By owning one, you’re not just buying a sneaker - you’re supporting emerging talent, championing creativity, and wearing a piece of global competition history.
A HISTORIC COLLABORATION
