It's June, so everyone's eyes turn to The Stanley Cup and who will take it home.
Thanks to a special collaboration from the NHL, NOBULL and sneaker design artist "The Surgeon," 16 lucky hockey fans will take home some equally attention-grabbing kicks.
The sneakers, dubbed "Cup Chasers," are designed over NOBULL's Outwork training shoe, but they aren't just for putting in work - they're wearable art.
"I wanted to create something unique inspired by the Stanley Cup," said The Surgeon, aka Dominic Ciambrone, who has built a massive following on social media (over one million followers on Instagram alone) with his eye-popping sneaker designs. "I always try to be the one pushing boundaries, creatively."
Ciambrone's work (@thesurgeon) is displayed by everyone from star athletes like Kyrie Irving, Jalen Ramsey, Odell Beckham Jr. to pop stars Justin Bieber (a noted Toronto Maple Leafs fan) and Karol G. He's designed limited edition shoes for everything from the World Cup to the new "Scary Movie" reboot.
The Cup Chasers certainly proved challenging, as the silver leather and chrome detailing can be difficult to work with, Ciambrone notes, but the end result - including laser etching and rear heel detail to look like the top of the Stanley Cup's bowl - is unquestionably stunning.
“Built on NOBULL’s signature Outwork training shoe, the ‘Cup Chasers’ are designed on a shoe that represents the same grit and intensity that define the chase for the Cup,” a NOBULL spokesperson said.
The question for the lucky fans - who can enter the drawing at CupChasers.com (U.S. and Canada residents only) through June 21 - who win the sneaks: To wear or not to wear?
"Everything I make is functional," said Ciambrone, a native of Northern California and San Jose Sharks fan who said he recently rekindled his love of hockey through his 12-year-old niece, who plays goalie for her youth team in Oregon. "Some people may display them as trophies. I think they'll look good on display or they'll look good if you wear them."
