The Art of Taking Sneakers Apart

About this episode

Mike interviews Al Baker about his unique approach to turning sneakers into art inspired by entomology.

Mike sits down with Al Baker, the artist behind Deadstock Anatomies, for a Coffee Time Kicks conversation about turning sneakers into framed art pieces inspired by entomology, the science of pinning insects. Al breaks down how a wife's passion for bug collecting led to taking apart a Jordan 1 and never looking back, the time he split a Red October down the middle and made $6,000 doing it, why the Reebok Above the Rim line still has him hunting Poshmark for old Steve Francis ATRs, and what it felt like to hand A'ja Wilson a piece made from her own signature shoe. Plus, the daily-driver Mars Yards he can't stop wearing, why he stopped chasing hypebeast clients, and the grail Jordan 1 he's still trying to track down in a wearable size. Find Al on Instagram at @DeadstockAnatomies or at dsanatomies.com . Subscribe to Sneaker History wherever you listen, and follow along at SneakerHistory.com. SUPPORT THE SHOW: Two decades in this industry. Hundreds of episodes. Zero corporate overlords. If the show adds something to your day, here's how to keep it going... Pre-Order Nick's Book "Small Luxuries: Sneakers" (Motorbooks, October 2026): https://bookshop.org/a/122044/9798317900854 Donate…

People in this episode

Host: Mike

Guest: Al Baker

Topics covered

• sneaker art
• entomology
• sneaker culture
• collecting sneakers
• sneaker business

Keywords

• sneakers
• art
• collecting
• Jordan 1
• Reebok Above the Rim
• A'ja Wilson
• Deadstock Anatomies

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Deadstock Anatomies

Products: Jordan 1, Red October, Reebok Above the Rim, Mars Yards

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