The old saying goes, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
The career and life path of San Diego business owner Reynaldo Marquez and his one-of-a-kind footwear runs much in that same vein.
Founder and CEO
SD Custom Footwear
Marquez, 43, is a designer, creator, seamster and seller of unique athletic shoes, including some that touched down in “Air,” the 2023 movie based on the start of the Nike line of Air Jordan basketball shoes — named after NBA superstar Michael Jordan.
More than a dozen of Marquez’s sneakers lit up the big screen and were worn by the movie’s director Ben Affleck and other “Air” actors. He even was able to attend the movie’s global premiere and rubbed elbows with the likes of Affleck and Matt Damon. His shoes are also worn by the actor playing Jack in Jack-in-the-Box commercials.
While proud of those accomplishments, Marquez has found his greatest moments reach beyond his own art – through teaching and mentoring and making a difference in the lives of others.
Marquez grew up in first Mexico then Kansas. His mother was a seamstress and from her, he learned how to sew as a teenager, tasked initially with making basketball uniforms for the local high school team.
While working as a real estate appraiser after landing in San Diego as an adult in 2002, Marquez revisited his past by taking a sneaker-making class. While learning the craft, he said he was disillusioned by the instructor’s lack of interest in students. So he invested his own money to start SD Custom Footwear, LLC out of a tiny Airbnb in 2018 where he could offer training and guidance.
Nearly six years later, Marquez and five employees teach students inside a 7,000-square-foot warehouse at Commercial and 31st streets. Among a setup of several high-tech sewing machines, as part of four days of instruction, students learn to create and design custom athletic footwear, blending traditional shoemaking techniques with modern sneaker reconstruction and artistic vision.
‘More Like Mentorship’
Creating a community of like-minded artists who encourage and support each other was the plan from the start. Offering follow-up advice and learning opportunities after completion of the course makes SD Custom Footwear unique, he said.
“The main reason I started this is because the other guy I took a class from was not trying to help anybody,” Marquez said. “My business is more of like a mentorship. It’s not just ‘four days and you’re out.’ It’s like a lifelong mentorship. One thing I’m very proud of is I’ve had over 200 students, and I think I’ve counted 12 or 13 of my students who have gone on to start their own business or something related with leather. One guy makes leather like dog collars.”
Classes are held once a month. They cover everything from the anatomy of the sneaker, guiding students through sneaker patterns, shoe structure and deconstruction to explaining different types of leathers and the proper ways to prepare and shape pieces. They also teach techniques for cutting, sewing and skiving, and relaying the importance of the materials needed for internal construction and shoe reconstruction.
Students can also learn to create custom clothing, handbags and other small leather goods.
People travel from across the country and even as far away as Australia to learn at SD Custom Footwear. At about $1,000 to start, the courses aren’t inexpensive, but students look at it as an investment in their future, Marquez said.
Owner
Saga Painting and Design
Mario Sagastume graduated in December. Sagastume owns Saga Painting and Design in Florida but has been searching for more. After discovering SD Custom Footwear online and following the business on Instagram for less than two weeks, he headed to San Diego to learn.
“I’ve never built a shoe, but there’s a first time for everything,” he said. “My only regret is that I didn’t do this sooner. I’ve let a lot of years go by. Years ago I designed shoes for Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren. Footwear is my passion and I didn’t want to waste any more time.”
During a class, Sagastume said that it was the first time he had ever sewn or did any pattern cutting. He said with the knowledge gleaned, he felt confident he could start a business making custom shoes when he returned to Florida.
Monster Support
SD Custom Footwear’s landlord is CoPlace, the community-driven development group working to build long-term investment return and create positive social impact for the people who live in the community.
Co-founder
CoPlace
Marc Berkowitz, co-founder of CoPlace, said, he and cofounder Sasha Favelukis have been “enamored by the creativity” of Marquez, watching what he has done and how the business has grown. Marquez was previously in a 1,000-square foot CoPlace space.
“We saw what he was doing from the beginning, and we’ve always been supportive of him,” Berkowitz said. “We are super proud watching him work behind the scenes in commercials and movies.”
SD Custom Shoes also now counts Monster Beverage Corporation as its sponsor, with a multi-year contract.
“The very first sneaker con after COVID, I took my shoes to try and sell them there,” Marquez said. “I was just sitting there thinking, ‘What the hell am I doing here? I got like two $3,000 shoes and there’s nothing but kids walking around buying and trading shoes from resellers.’ And just as I was thinking that, the Monster guy walks by and he’s like, ‘What is this? This is different.’ And we started talking and now I’m a Monster-sponsored artist. No way I saw that coming.”
SD Custom Footwear, LLC
FOUNDED: 2018
FOUNDER: Reynaldo Marquez
CEO: Reinard Flores
HEADQUARTERS: Barrio Logan
BUSINESS: Custom designed shoes instruction and shoe sales
EMPLOYEES: 5
WEBSITE: sdcustomfootwear.com
CONTACT: IG @sdcustomfootwear
SOCIAL IMPACT: Marquez has had offers to move his company out of Barrio Logan but by keeping it there, he is able to offer neighborhood kids opportunities to paint on premises.
NOTABLE: Marquez is also CEO of real estate appraisal company Laguna Appraisals
