Muleshoe shoes in top 50 for nationwide Vans art contest

MULESHOE, TX (KCBD) - Three years ago a meme about white vans almost broke the internet. The simple white canvases became a sensation and a punchline for a brief period of time.

Those same white shoes could also be seen as a literal blank canvas for art. So students at Muleshoe High School are ‘back at it again’ with their art as part of the 2019 Vans Custom Culture contest.

And not only are Muleshoe’s shoes in the contest, on Monday students learned they were one of 50 nationwide finalists out of an initial 500 schools that were invited to enter. Art teacher Alyssa Lopez, who entered her students in the contest back in January, found out on Friday, but couldn’t tell her class until Monday morning during the school’s tutorial period. “When I first told them, they did not believe me,” she told KCBD in a phone interview.

Each school was given two pair of Vans to decorate, a slip-on and ‘authentic’ lace-up. They had to design one pair in an ‘Off the Wall’ style - meaning they could be as creative and eye-catching as possible. The other needed to show off the ‘Local Flavor’ of the school, something one Muleshoe student found in the nearby wildlife refuge.

“One of my students said she had recently taken photos of of the wildlife reserve,” explained Lopez. “So we used elements from there of a waterfall, the flat road, and sunset."

They also incorporated a snake, something many in the area are familiar with, winding its way through four metal mule shoes along the rubber midsole.

The ‘Off the Wall’ style was inspired by a koi pond and current nostalgia for the early 1990s. When Lopez asked any of her students if they had ever watched the NBC Saturday Morning show “Saved by the Bell" - she said none of them had. But the bright yellow background with its pink and cyan triangles certainly looks like something Zach Morris would have worn.

Now that Muleshoe is among the Top 50 Finalists, the next step for the shoes is to try to make the Top 5 in voting. “It’s all about spreading the word,” Lopez said about making the Top 5.

If Muleshoe were to win, they could receive $75,000 for their art program, something Lopez said she would use to buy her students better supplies. “I tell them all they need for class is a No. 2 Pencil and an eraser... so anything will help my kids."

As for the shoes themselves, Lopez reports they will stay at the school. She hopes they will take a place of honor in the school’s display case.

Voting for the Vans Custom Culture contest runs through May 3. The winners will learn if they have been chosen on May 14. You can vote once per day as long as you provide a working email address.

Along with taking a look at photos of the shoes, you can read the school’s “Impact Statement” on what the shoes have already meant for the art program.

>>CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR MULESHOE HIGH SCHOOL<<

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