By Elizabeth Sims, BubbleLife Intern

With a few strokes of her paintbrush Coppell High School sophomore Emily Shultz can turn a simple pair of shoes into a work of art.

Shultz discovered her talent for decorating shoes practically by accident a year and a half ago while teaching herself how to paint.

“I wanted to get an idea of how to paint,” Shultz said. “I did not have a canvas, but I did have a pair of plain black shoes so I used those as my canvas.”

In her artistic hands, these plain black shoes became a unique work of art, depicting the classic arcade game PAC-MAN. Shultz draws inspiration for her shoe designs from another designer she follows on Instagram.

“I follow this guy on Instagram called 'iamsloth' who does designs for shoes, shirts and posters,” Shultz said. “His designs are abstract and out of the box, and I wanted to paint my own.”

After seeing the shoes, Shultz’s younger sister Avery asked for a pair.

“Her shoes were pretty cool,” Avery said. “I asked Emily to make me shark shoes, and she also gave me watermelon shoes.”

In excitement over her new shoes, Avery wore them to school to show her friends not knowing she would generate quite an interest in her sister's design.

“My friends at school noticed them, thought they were cool and wanted them,” Avery said.

Shultz realized just how much people liked her designs and decided to start selling her shoes during the summer.

“I had made nine pairs and realized I could not just keep buying shoes to paint,” Shultz said. “I started selling them to my friends to make a profit.”

While her designs seem detailed and complex, Shultz’s creative process is actually very simple, as she works based on her customers’ requests.

“I just ask for a general idea of what they want,” Shultz said. “Then I look at pictures online and sketch them on the shoes. When I am happy with the sketch I start painting.”

One of her customers, sophomore Braden Creel, received a pair of “Dr. Who” themed shoes after having a conversation about the popular TV show with Shultz.

“She actually brought it up and said she could make me a pair of 'Dr. Who' shoes. I thought it would be pretty cool because I love 'Dr. Who,'” Creel said. “After a day, she had them painted and ready for me.”

After Creel received his custom-painted shoes, he was eager to show them off and began to recommend Shultz and her work.

“She is really good at the painting process, and she is fast so you are guaranteed to get them quicker,” Creel said.

Shultz’s shoes have gained popularity as she continues to sell pairs to her friends and family. Her creative pursuits could even become a family matter as her sister has expressed an interest in decorating her own shoes.

“I want to make shoes like Emily’s,” Avery said. “I have asked my mom to take me to the shoe store so I can make my own.”

Though she has created many unique designs for her shoes, she still has a few that she calls her favorites.

“My favorite shoes that I have made are the watermelons I made for my sister and the 'Dr. Who' shoes I made for Braden because they were both really cool and fun to make,” Shultz said.

As more and more requests for shoes come to Shultz, she is sure to have great success sharing her designs with others.

Photos of Shultz designs can be seen on Instagram under her username @emilyslife23.