The Re-Sole 206 has long been on Ward’s bucket list. The artist’s journey first began a few decades ago when, inspired by a mixture of hip hop culture and a drive to deviate from the fashion norm, she started customizing her own shoes and clothes.
“It became more about just sort of day-to-day fashion and self-expression,” she said. “What looks cool, what feels right, playing with different materials.”
The artist first began experimenting with leather paint on shoes, but later took on new art forms, including “rhinestones, fabrics, dyes and other mediums,” she said. Every customization Ward has made is the only one like it in existence, making her service distinctive and unique to the customer ordering it.
“It became more about telling a story with each custom,” Ward said.
With friends and the local community taking an interest in her art, Ward began selling customized projects under the brand name “T-DUB Customs” in 2016. The same community that showed up to buy her customized projects at local vendor markets back then has continued showing up and supporting The Re-Sole 206, she said.
Seattle-based artist Moses Sun, who worked with Ward on the Black Lives Matter mural in 2020, says her ambition and care for her community is part of The Re-Sole 206’s appeal.
“[The Re-Sole 206] is great because it represents the chance of entrepreneurship, ownership, equity, and equality,” Sun said. “She is willing to put herself out there into the community to draw people in and to remind them of the incredible history of and survival of Black folks being able to thrive here.”
Schelia Ward, Takiyah’s mother, has also always seen her art’s strong connection to her involvement in the local community. From designing flyers for the Garfield community center to participating in Seattle art festivals, Takiyah’s long community-centered journey has led up to the opening of The Re-Sole 206, Schelia Ward said.
“I just trusted that she was picking the right path for herself,” she Ward said. “I never had any doubts about if she would get there.”
While mainly featuring Takiyah Ward’s customizations, The Re-Sole 206 offers another unique product: shoe cleaning and repair. Conscious about sneaker production’s impact on climate change, she said she works hard to bring worn-out shoes back to life and not to the landfill.
The Re-Sole 206’s refreshingly diverse services are something Seattle hasn’t seen before, she said. People have been surprised to find out about the store’s offering: “They’re like, ‘I’m shocked that this thing even exists, and that it exists here,’” Ward said.
Through The Re-Sole 206, Takiyah Ward is preserving the area’s community and art. Her sneaker artwork is on a rotating display, the store is officially open, and Takiyah Ward said she is just getting started.
“It fuels the fire,” Takiyah Ward said. “It makes me pumped for what to do next.”
The Re-Sole 206 is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Apply to join the team on the store’s website at https://theresole206.com/
