KixKote Competition

2. Theme: Art Through the Decades

Each entry must be inspired by a specific decade and reflect the art, style, culture, imagery, or creative identity associated with that era.

Examples may include:

• 1920s: Art Deco, geometric patterns, glamour, and luxury-inspired details.
• 1940s: Americana, wartime-era imagery, vintage graphics, and classic styling.
• 1960s: Psychedelic colors, flowing patterns, counterculture, and experimental art.
• 1980s: Street art, graffiti, neon colors, bold graphics, and pop culture.
• 1990s: Music, fashion, television, sports, pop culture, and nostalgic references.

These examples are intended only as starting points.

Entrants may choose any decade and are encouraged to bring their own creative interpretation to the theme.

The goal is to create a custom that clearly communicates the story, attitude, style, or culture of the selected decade.

3. Shoe & Paint Requirements

Entrants may use any brand or style of shoe as the base for their competition entry.

However:

• The shoes must be brand new.
• The project must be created during the official painting period.
• Previously completed customs are not eligible.
• Projects started before November 2, 2026 are not eligible.
• KixKote™ paint must be used to create the competition entry.

Entrants may use their preferred artistic techniques, tools, preparation methods, and creative processes, provided the completed project meets all competition requirements.

4. Registration

Entrants must register between October 12 and November 1, 2026.

Registration must include:

• Full name.
• Instagram handle.
• Email address.
• Phone number.
• Proposed decade.
• Proposed design theme or concept.

The proposed design theme submitted during registration is not final.

Entrants may modify or evolve their concept during the creative process, provided the completed project remains consistent with the Art Through the Decades theme.

Registration alone does not constitute a completed competition entry. Entrants must also satisfy all content and final submission requirements.

5. Required Content

Contestants are required to document and publicly share their creative process.

Two Process Videos

The process videos should give viewers a look at the techniques, progress, inspiration, and creative development behind the custom.

One Final Reveal Post

The final post should showcase the completed design and clearly display the finished shoes.

All three required posts must include both official competition hashtags:

Entrants may create their content in their own style. Reels, edited videos, timelapses, behind-the-scenes footage, progress updates, and other creative formats are permitted.

The content should accurately represent the contestant's actual creative process and finished work.

6. Final Submission

Completed entries must be submitted no later than December 13, 2026.

The final submission must include:

• Clear photographs of the completed shoes.
• A project name.
• The decade represented.
• A written description explaining the inspiration, creative concept, and connection between the design and the selected decade.

Contestants are encouraged to photograph their shoes in a way that best represents the personality and atmosphere of the project.

Creative locations, styling, lighting, props, and camera angles are encouraged, provided the actual artwork remains clearly visible.

Posting the final reveal on social media does not replace the required final submission.

A complete submission must be received through the official competition submission process by the deadline.

7. Judging, Finalists & Public Voting

Completed and eligible submissions will be reviewed by the KixKote™ judging panel between December 14 and December 20, 2026.

The judges will evaluate entries based on factors including:

• Creativity.
• Originality.
• Execution.
• Craftsmanship.
• Storytelling.
• Overall design.
• Connection to the selected decade.
• Overall presentation.

The judges will select the Top 5 projects.

The Top 5 finalists will be announced on December 21, 2026.

The finalist shoes will be sent to DeJesus Custom Footwear for review on their YouTube channel.

Public Voting

Public voting will run from December 21 through December 28, 2026.

The winner will be determined by the results of the public vote among the five finalists.

The final winner will be confirmed and officially announced on January 1, 2027.

8. Winner's Prize

The $500 payment is made in exchange for ownership and possession of the winning shoes, which will become part of the permanent display at KixKote™ Headquarters.

The winning artist agrees to provide the completed competition shoes to KixKote™ as a condition of receiving the $500 shoe purchase payment.

9. Original Work

All submitted designs must be the entrant's own original work.

Entrants are responsible for ensuring they have the right to use any artwork, imagery, logos, characters, photographs, designs, or other creative elements incorporated into their entry.

KixKote™ reserves the right to disqualify any entry that appears to infringe upon another person's intellectual property or otherwise violates applicable law.

10. Entry Eligibility & Compliance

Only entries that comply with all competition requirements will be eligible for judging.

KixKote™ may disqualify an entry for reasons including, but not limited to:

• Missing registration.
• Missing required social media content.
• Missing required hashtags.
• Failure to submit by the final deadline.
• Use of previously completed or previously started shoes.
• Use of used shoes.
• Failure to use KixKote™ paint.
• Use of prohibited AI-generated or AI-altered content.
• Submission of false or misleading information.
• Failure to comply with any other competition requirement.

KixKote™ reserves the right to determine whether an entry satisfies the requirements of the competition.

11. Competition Content & Promotion

By entering the competition, participants acknowledge that KixKote™ may repost, share, feature, display, and promote publicly submitted competition content in connection with the contest.

This may include entrant names, Instagram handles, project photographs, videos, and submitted descriptions.

Entrants retain ownership of their original artwork and content, except that ownership of the physical winning shoes will transfer to KixKote™ upon payment of the $500 winning shoe purchase amount.

12. General Conditions

KixKote™ reserves the right to interpret and enforce these Official Rules and to make reasonable decisions necessary to administer the competition.

KixKote™ may modify competition dates, deadlines, procedures, or other administrative details if circumstances outside its reasonable control require a change.

Any material changes will be communicated through official KixKote™ channels.

KixKote™ reserves the right to cancel, suspend, or modify the competition if fraud, technical issues, manipulation, misconduct, or other circumstances materially affect the fairness or integrity of the competition.