RUDE ATTITUDE: How Twenty One Pilots & Panic at the Disco Inspired a "Too Cool For School" Sneaker Fashion Trend

When I was thirteen, a boyfriend of mine was so annoyingly into computers that I vowed never to use one.  And then I ended up marrying a software engineer, who set up my first email account.  Flash forward a couple of decades, and Psychotic Leopard would not exist without the freedom and reach provided by the internet.

I used to scoff at the idea of meeting people online, but it does open up a world of possibilities for a former backpacker whose single motherhood forces her to stay local.  Luckily, the computer provides me with chance encounters every so often, and sometimes I “meet” some really cool people.

One of them was a Psychotic Leopard customer, who I swear could be a model for the company - check out that purple mohawk!

JEGG recently bought a pair of used basic black Converse All-star high-top sneakers, and we ended up having a conversation of how she planned to personalize them for her nearly thirteen year-old daughter.

As a parent of two teenagers, I have to vouch for the fact that it gets harder to make them go “wow!” the older they get, and it feels pretty satisfying to even get a “thank you” sometimes.

JEGG managed to get the wow.

The photo she sent of what she’d done with the shoes was unrecognizable at first, a completely different product than what I’d mailed out. She had let her daughter choose two "patches" of her favorite band, Twenty One Pilots, printed them onto DARK Fabric Transfers, and had then ironed them onto the kicks. The final flourish were some tomato red tricked out laces to make a “new to you” and way better pair of Chucks!

Not only had JEGG managed to create a unique conversation piece, but to also preserve a monumental period of her daughter’s life through fashion.

I don't know many parents who are able to really focus on their adolescents like that.  JEGG had presented her daughter with a personalized gift which not only showcased her artistic talents as a mother, but demonstrated a focus on and respect for her daughter’s tastes.

Of course, the sneakers received a lot of attention, especially from everyone else, so JEGG made a second pair of another favorite:  Panic at the Disco.

More positive response!  The child of long line of artists who has made all kinds of arts and crafts items throughout her life, it was natural for JEGG to take this sort of “too cool for school” idea even further:  she personalized both her daughter's and a best friend's backpack straps with band symbols using paint pens, and red and white bubble paint for the Blurryface symbol of 21 Pilots.

Boy do I wish I’d had a cool mom like this!  In high school growing up in the 1980s, sneakers were also our perfect canvas, and my close friends took pride in tagging their shoes with graffiti style art, using airbrushes or just plain Sharpies.  People used to actually steal the sneakers off others’ feet sometimes!

Most trends start with a good idea and many inventors say that they did not realize how big it would grow.  When JEGG shared these photos, I was beyond impressed.  I know that she has something here, an idea which can definitely be marketed. Her daughter and friends are a walking advertisements of her talents, and her creations specifically recognize the need that teenagers, as well as the rest of us, really want the world to know who we are, and what we love.

JEGG has since been working on forming her own company, even designing her logo within a matter of days (not too difficult for a woman who been drawing and painting since she could hold a crayon).  Keep your eyes peeled for “RUDE ATTITUDE”, soon to be launched on Facebook, Instagram, and who knows where else!  

And if you notice "that car," the one with the music too loud, it could be JEGG and her daughter having their own mini concert!