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Georgia artist goes big for Pro Bowl cleats of rookie Kyle Pitts

The conversation started casually, as it usually does whenever Curtis Booth inquires about whether a player wants his cleats to look like more than what comes out of the box from Nike, Adidas or UnderArmour.

Kenny Osuwah, assistant equipment manager for the Atlanta Falcons, reaches out. Or sometimes Booth hears from the player himself. Then, as the relationship is formed, Booth will reach out on his own. Which is how the idea came up to have what Falcons rookie tight end Kyle Pitts has on his feet at the Pro Bowl on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, ESPN) look like anything but a normal pair of shoes.

The Pro Bowl will be held on Sunday, Feb. 6 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas at 3 p.m. ET., on ESPN.
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The custom Pro Bowl cleats of Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts are painted in University of Florida colors and list some of the accomplishments from his record-breaking rookie season. Courtesy of Curtis Booth

But those steps are what Booth focused on as he created Pitts’ shoes. He wanted Pitts’ feet — which were so integral to his first-season success — to display the message of how good his rookie year was, sort of a commemoration of what he accomplished splashed across his Jordan 5s.

“He’s the second [rookie] tight end ever to reach the 1,000-yard milestone, so I know I’m going to put that on there,” Booth said. “And maybe a couple stats and some Falcons logos, also. Still brainstorming, maybe have one cleat look completely different than the other cleat.

“But rookie things, definitely.”

Two weeks ago, Booth was in the brainstorming process, the first part of the creative painted journey from concept to creation — something the player didn’t see until he received the shoes just before he left for Las Vegas.

This isn’t as simple as putting some paint on a shoe and going with it. This is an hours-long process for each pair of shoes Booth works on.

It’s a process Booth has streamlined over the past three years, one self-taught from what he calls YouTube University. All of this happened so randomly — how the psychology major at North Carolina Central who wanted to become a forensic psychologist ended up doing this instead. He never imagined this in college, when his boredom and scrolling on Instagram took him to WalMart and he painted a pair of Jordan 1s pink.

He wore them to class. Because he knew nothing about the custom shoe business at the time, the color ran. It looked like he was wearing a pink-spotted cow. But classmates were still intrigued. This was years before it became his full-time job, before he locked in with the Falcons and became their cleat creator.

With Pitts’ shoes, because he had time, it began with brainstorming sessions. Knowing he was working with a six-panel Jordan 5 — the more panels available, the more creative he can be — Booth then takes an all-white silhouette and puts it in a photoshop mockup on his computer.

It’s there he messes around with different fonts and sizes to get an idea of what could go where and the type of space he might need for each idea to pop to life.

“I usually go on Instagram a lot and post my mockups and have people vote on which one they like best, and the highest vote, I’ll go with that,” Booth said. “A lot of times I’ll do that to make sure we’re on the same page. I’ll know what I want to do with it, so I’ll go post a different mockup to see if people are seeing the same thing that I see.

“That helps me out a lot because it’s like that second opinion, like definitely do that. Because otherwise, I’m thinking in the back of my head, ‘Ahh, should I do this or that?'”

Booth learned from experience to edit who can see the mockups in his stories — often blocking his clients so as not to spoil the surprise. Sometimes screenshots have leaked, a hazard of social media and a lesson Booth learned.

Design done, the real work starts. Each shoe has to be specifically prepped. Booth starts by taping the soles of cleats — they are unable to be painted — and then takes acetone, places it on a pad and scrubs down each shoe to take off the clear, unseen sealer on the top of each cleat. This will keep the paint from running and sliding off the shoe or cracking once it’s put on.

“The reason for that is to open up, I say to open up the pores a little bit,” Booth said. “To give the paint something to stick on to.”

Once the initial gloss is gone, Booth can start painting. He’ll add an adhesion promoter to the shoe to add a layer and give the paint another opportunity to stick to the shoe. If he’s doing a detailed design, like a logo or a cartoon character or stenciled writing — like for Pitts’ shoe — he’ll print out stencils and lay those down while the shoe is still fully white.

Then he’ll add a base coat of paint — usually white or gray depending on the colors he’s working with both on the shoe and the design — and let it dry. Then he’ll start painting in the detailed design and stencils. Finished there, he’ll go back to do touchups just in case any of the paint bled into another area of the shoe.

“I do my outlining last because that makes the design pop,” Booth said. “Pretty much that important step in the prep. That’s the important step because football players, they are pretty rough on sneakers. They are running and jumping and sliding and tackling and everything and the worst that happens is the paint comes off.

“And as an artist, you don’t want that to happen, because that kind of tells you the quality of work isn’t there.”

Booth is meticulous with each pair. When he’s done painting and likes the work of the shoe, he’ll seal it again — much like what was initially on the shoe that he scrubbed off. He first uses a scratch-resistant sealer, again protecting his work from the realities of football. Then, he’ll use either a glossy or matte finisher depending on the look he’s going for.

The average time it takes on a shoe, from brainstorm to completion, is around eight to 10 hours. For some of Patterson’s work, it took 15. For Pitts’ shoe, he allotted 20 hours.

“I really want to perfect that design on there,” Booth said. “And I want him to really stand out at the Pro Bowl.”

This isn’t the first time Pitts has tried to show some creativity during his rookie season. His request for a change to old Florida Gators cleats he had early in the season kickstarted the relationship with Booth.

And then there’s something else — something he had every game but didn’t always get noticed: The design on his hands.

When Pitts signed with Jordan Brand — the cleats he wears — one of the things they asked him about was if he wanted to help design anything else. Pitts decided he had interest in helping to create a unique pair of gloves just for him.

And what he ended up going with each game this year had one meaning — even if it ended up looking like another.

“With the eight in the middle, that was just one of the designs,” Pitts said. “I didn’t think of it as a bullseye until I had seen it and seen the colors and it was pretty cool. I didn’t think of that to signify anything.”

But for much of the season, it kind of did. Pitts became

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Aubameyang finally joins Barcelona after leaving Arsenal by mutual consent

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang completed his much-anticipated free transfer to Barcelona on Wednesday, bringing an end to a whirlwind 48 hours in which negotiations nearly broke down over the forward’s salary costs.

Barcelona said they agreed to a three-and-a-half-year contract with the option to opt out of the deal in June 2023. His buyout clause is set at €100 million.

Arsenal terminated the remaining 18 months of Aubameyang’s contract by mutual consent on Tuesday, with the player waiving future earnings of around £350,000 per week.

His departure could save the Gunners up to £27 million over that span, The Athletic’s James McNicholas and Amy Lawrence report.

Meanwhile, Barcelona could end paying Aubameyang just £1.6 million this season, according to BBC Sport’s Guillem Balague. The 32-year-old was reportedly happy to take any payment to make the deal happen.

Aubameyang traveled to Barcelona in anticipation of the move Monday, but talks over a potential loan deal reportedly collapsed later in the day.

Arsenal had apparently agreed to waive any fee as long as Barcelona covered the majority of Aubameyang’s salary. But the difference was too great for the Blaugrana, especially with Ousmane Dembele still on the books. Dembele, whose contract expires in June, turned down two offers to leave Barca in January, club president Joan Laporta said Tuesday.

Arsenal and Barcelona reportedly resurrected negotiations hours before the transfer deadline, with the Gunners desperate to offload a player who was stripped of the captaincy for disciplinary reasons earlier in the season.

Laporta admitted the documents required to finalize the transfer arrived just one minute before the deadline.

Aubameyang’s last appearance for Arsenal came as a late substitute in their 2-1 loss to Everton on Dec. 6. After a late return from a club-sanctioned trip to France to visit his ill mother, manager Mikel Arteta left Aubameyang out of Arsenal’s following six games.

The forward later joined Gabon’s national team at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, where he tested positive for COVID-19. Gabon sent him home after discovering a heart condition related to the virus.

Aubameyang, who joined Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund in 2018 for a then-club-record £56 million, leaves a complicated legacy in north London. He won the Premier League Golden Boot alongside Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah in 2018-19 and the FA Cup in 2020, and he scored 92 goals in 162 appearances across all competitions.

DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP / Getty

In September 2020, Aubameyang signed a new three-year contract that eased the blow of Mesut Ozil’s eventual exit later that season. He vowed to become a “legend” of the club like Thierry Henry and “leave a legacy” but struggled to earn his keep. With just four goals in 14 Premier League appearances this term, Aubameyang lost the patience of the fans and manager, bolting at the earliest opportunity for Barcelona.

“Thank you for making London home for myself and my family for the past four years,” Aubameyang wrote on Instagram. “We went through ups and downs together, and your support meant everything to me. Having the chance to win trophies and the honor of being the captain of this club is something I will forever keep in my heart.

“I’ve always been 100% focused and committed on doing everything I can for this club, which is why leaving without a real goodbye hurts, but that is football.”

He’ll now competes for minutes alongside the likes of Ansu Fati, fellow signing Ferran Torres, and Memphis Depay up front.

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Ranking the 20 best deals of the January transfer window

With the January transfer window slamming shut on Monday night, theScore ranks the 20 best moves made across the game’s top leagues.

20. Chris Wood ?? Newcastle United

Details: Signed from Burnley for reported £25M fee

In a vacuum, signing Wood isn’t exactly the kind of huge swing you’d expect from a club brandished as the wealthiest in the world following its recent Saudi-led takeover. The 30-year-old striker only has three Premier League goals this campaign, after all. But when you’re in a relegation scrap, every little bit counts, and paying a negligible fee – by their nouveau-riche standards – to rid a direct rival of its starting center-forward could help make the difference between top-flight survival and life in the Championship. It’s entirely possible that Wood’s signing could be deemed a success even if he never finds the net for Newcastle. this season. That’s exactly the type of calculated signing you can make when money is no obstacle.

19. Anel Ahmedhodzic ?? Bordeaux

Details: Initial loan from Malmo with reported obligation to buy

The club that helped foster the talents of Jules Kounde, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Yacine Adli is at it again. Ahmedhodzic, 22, had been linked with the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, and AC Milan in recent months but instead opted for a more modest switch to Bordeaux, where he’ll have the opportunity to continue developing. An imposing center-back with impressive athleticism, the Bosnian international knows how to leverage his physical skills – and he’ll only continue to get stronger, too. This is almost certainly a stepping stone to a more opulent transfer for Ahmedhodzic, making it a win-win for everyone.

18. Samuele Ricci ?? Torino

Jonathan Moscrop / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Details: Initial loan from Empoli with obligation to buy

Torino very quietly made one of the most astute signings of the January window, adding a 20-year-old central midfielder who has already shown enormous growth potential. Ricci, a tidy dribbler who developed through Empoli’s prolific academy, has featured regularly throughout the Italian youth setup. In the mold of Marco Verratti and Manuel Locatelli, he’s calm and composed on the ball, especially in tight spaces, and is always eager to receive a pass in front of the defense. Ricci’s move, which will reportedly become permanent for a very modest €11 million, should help fellow midfielders Tommaso Pobega and Sasa Lukic race forward into the penalty area while the young Italian holds down the fort.

17. Romain Faivre ?? Lyon

Details: Signed from Brest for reported €15M fee

Lyon had to act quickly to address the glaring hole Bruno Guimaraes’ departure created – more on that later. They couldn’t have done much better than procuring Tanguy Ndombele and Faivre. The former – back in a familiar setting – should be able to relaunch a once-promising career, while the latter has established himself as one of the finest creators in Ligue 1 this campaign. Faivre is one of just seven players in France’s top flight with at least five goals and five assists on the campaign, and amid all the ungodly cash flying around, Les Gones have seemingly pulled off a coup in adding the 23-year-old attacking midfielder. His signing also helps account for Rayan Cherki’s potential departure.

16. Stephen Eustaquio ?? FC Porto

Details: Initial loan from Pacos de Ferreira with option to buy

Canada’s most talented midfielder now has an opportunity to shine with Porto, one of Portugal’s biggest clubs. Eustaquio, 25, has taken the long road to the top, first playing for low-tier sides in Portugal before trying his luck in Mexico. The move to Cruz Azul in 2019 backfired – Eustaquio was out injured for the majority of his time there – but he rediscovered himself at Pacos de Ferreira. Few outside of the district of Porto would’ve recognized him before he made the giant leap forward with the Canadian national team. Seventeen of his 18 total international appearances came in 2021, a huge year for him personally but also for the country’s program. Canada’s on the brink of advancing to the World Cup for the first time since 1986, and Eustaquio’s vertical passing and control in midfield have been a big part of this qualification campaign.

15. Lucas Digne ?? Aston Villa

Neville Williams / Aston Villa FC / Getty

Details: Signed from Everton for reported £25M fee

Steven Gerrard’s presence is paying serious dividends. Digne, a French international who also drew Chelsea’s interest in January, said upon completing his transfer that he moved to Villa Park “for the manager.” After his relationship with former Everton bench boss Rafa Benitez soured, having a coach who appreciates his obvious talent will be a welcome change. The Toffees’ loss is Aston Villa’s substantial gain. The 28-year-old left-back is an upgrade on Matt Targett in both phases of play, offering a dangerous attacking threat while never shunning his defensive responsibilities. Digne’s a particularly sturdy tackler, too, which will be a hit with the Villa faithful.

14. Sergio Oliveira ?? Roma

Details: Initial loan from Porto with option to buy

Oliveira has already made an immediate impact at Roma, scoring two goals in as many games since joining the club from Porto, but his attacking influence has been a bonus. Roma already have several players who can find the net. The club’s biggest issue has been inconsistency and a lack of guile – something Jose Mourinho hasn’t been shy about openly questioning throughout the season. Oliveira, a dogged box-to-box competitor, made a point to highlight the winning “mentality” that he derived at Porto when introduced in the Italian capital. “I am coming here from a club, Porto, where losing is not allowed and is always a problem to be dealt with,” he said. “The target is to help improve the mentality and the ambition here.”

13. Ricardo Pepi ?? FC Augsburg

Details: Signed from FC Dallas for reported $20M fee

The focus from a North American perspective was, naturally, that Pepi’s move marked an MLS record for guaranteed money paid for a homegrown player. But the fee also smashed Augsburg’s own transfer record as the club endeavors to develop exciting, young talent in Bavaria. Pepi’s rise thus far has been rapid. He was named MLS Young Player of the Year for his team-best 13 strikes for FC Dallas, as well as U.S. Soccer Young Male Player of the Year for the three goals and two assists he recorded since his international debut in September. Pepi may need time to settle in Germany, but the long-term payoff of this move promises to be huge.

12. Anthony Martial ?? Sevilla

Fran Santiago / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Details: Loan from Manchester United until the end of the season

For a team that wants to close the gap with league-leading Real Madrid, Sevilla have a modest record in front of goal. Rafa Mir is the Andalusians’ top La Liga scorer with six goals – about one-third the amount tallied by Karim Benzema and exactly half of Vinicius Junior’s haul – and the side is averaging fewer shots on target per game than Rayo Vallecano. Cue the arrival of Martial, a player who’s desperate for minutes and will look to establish himself as the main attacking force down the left, ahead of 33-year-old Papu Gomez. When Martial was a consistent starter for Manchester United in the 2019-20 Premier League season, he had 17 goals and six assists.

11. Ferran Torres ?? Barcelona

Details: Signed from Manchester City for reported €55M fee

Barcelona president Joan Laporta heralded Torres’ arrival at Camp Nou as the start of a revolution. “We are back as big players in the market,” Laporta told reporters on Jan. 3. It remains to be seen if that’s the case. Barcelona couldn’t even register Torres until they negotiated outbound transfers and trimmed their payroll. What’s clear, though, is the player’s talent. Torres is an efficient attacker who can play anywhere across the front line, and at 21, he represents the future Barcelona are trying to build.

10. Dejan Kulusevski ?? Tottenham Hotspur

Details: Initial loan from Juventus with €35-million option to buy

Fabio Paratici is banking on his familiarity with Juventus to generate a positive impact in north London, as Tottenham nabbed both Rodrigo Bentancur and Kulusevski hours before the January window slammed shut on Monday. Bentancur is a solid, if perhaps unspectacular, midfielder who will add vigor and balance to Spurs’ positional group. But of the Juve duo signed on deadline day, Kulusevski is the crown jewel. The versatile Swedish international, 21, proved he could be a dominant attacking force when he broke onto the scene with a spectacular season at Parma. Kulusevski’s career has stagnated since then, but at his best, he’s an explosive athlete who combines speed, balance, and crafty dribbling to great effect.

9. Adama Traore ?? Barcelona

Quality Sport Images / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Details: Initial loan from Wolves with reported €30M option to buy

Since the club’s relationship with Ousmane Dembele is now completely deteriorated, it made sense for Barcelona to pursue another winger in the transfer market, even if it took some more creative accounting to make the finances work. In welcoming La Masia graduate Traore back to Catalonia, Barca are getting arguably the best pure dribbler in the game, full stop. Among qualified players, the strapping Spaniard’s rate of 5.21 successful dribbles per 90 minutes is unrivaled across Europe’s top five leagues this season. There is literally nobody better in one-on-one situations. With Lionel Messi in Paris and Ansu Fati spending much of the campaign out injured, the Blaugrana are desperately in need of someone who can unsettle the opposition defense by beating his marker.

8. Philippe Coutinho ?? Aston Villa

Details: Initial loan from Barcelona with reported €40M option to buy

It’s safe to say Coutinho wouldn’t have joined Villa if not for Steven Gerrard. The two played together at Liverpool, and Gerrard saw the Brazilian midfielder’s excellence firsthand before he suffered a slow and painful decline at Barcelona. “You don’t lose talent. The key thing for Phil is that he needs to be in a place where he feels loved,” Gerrard said after his star signing recorded a goal and an assist in a remarkable cameo appearance against Manchester United. Now 29, Coutinho has a great opportunity to kick-start his career under a manager who appreciates his skills and demands the same swift, forward-thinking brand of football the midfielder loves to play.

7. Lorenzo Insigne ?? Toronto FC

Details: Joining on free transfer from Napoli at the end of the season

Insigne is reportedly set to earn €11.5 million per season over the next four years in Toronto, an exorbitant deal that he couldn’t possibly get in his native Italy, where he’s spent his entire career. Napoli, his hometown club, were only offering around €3.5 million. So it’s easy to understand why he opted to move to Major League Soccer at 30 years old, and he’s arguably an even bigger signing than Sebastian Giovinco was in 2015. Insigne is still a regular for the Italian national team, captain for title-chasing Napoli, and in the prime of his career.

6. Denis Zakaria ?? Juventus

Filippo Alfero – Juventus FC / Juventus FC / Getty

Details: Signed from Borussia Monchengladbach for €8.6M fee

Juventus learned the hard way that free transfers aren’t free. Aaron Ramsey earned €7 million a season after joining from Arsenal, Emre Can received a staggering €16-million signing-on fee in 2018 before exiting two years later, and Adrien Rabiot arrived from Paris Saint-Germain on another bloated contract in 2019. So, this time, they made a preemptive move for pending free agent Zakaria, locking him down now to avoid the inevitable auction for his services in the summer. Juventus agreed to pay a nominal €4.5 million to Borussia Monchengladbach and an additional €4.1 million in related costs to recruit the 25-year-old midfielder while handing a four-and-a-half-year contract that pays him a reported €3 million per season. That’s a reasonable amount for a player who should add much-needed bite to Juventus’ midfield.

5. Robin Gosens ?? Inter Milan

Details: Initial loan from Atalanta with reported €25M obligation to buy

In terms of value, Inter’s deal for one of Serie A’s most prolific wing-backs ranks high among transfers across Europe’s top leagues this winter. The Nerazzurri structured the deal so they can get their finances in order before paying the fee in full – a necessary evil given their recent attempt to issue new bonds and rework debt. Once fit, Gosens will replace converted wing-back Ivan Perisic on the left flank, where he’ll lend a greater hand defensively than his Croatian counterpart. The 27-year-old German has only made five starts this season because of a debilitating hamstring injury, but he’ll be available for the crucial title run-in.

4. Julian Alvarez ?? Manchester City

Details: Signed from River Plate for reported £14M fee, loaned back

After trying to sign Harry Kane and Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer transfer window, Manchester City shelved plans for immediate assistance up front by signing and loaning back 22-year-old forward Alvarez. City may attempt to bring in Erling Haaland next summer, but at least they can do so without feeling desperate. Unlike some of their random signings from South America, the reigning Premier League champions reportedly have no intention of flipping Alvarez for a quick profit. He’s already made his debut for Argentina, and at River, he plays in a high-tempo system that mirrors Guardiola’s City.

3. Dusan Vlahovic ?? Juventus

Daniele Badolato – Juventus FC / Juventus FC / Getty

Details: Signed from Fiorentina for initial €81.6M fee

Juventus may have paid a hefty fee to secure Vlahovic, but it’s certainly a bet worth making. The 22-year-old scoring sensation from Fiorentina recently tied Cristiano Ronaldo’s Serie A record of 33 goals in a calendar year. In Juventus’ grasp is the most coveted attacking prospect not named Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe, a physical specimen who will lead the club’s sagging offense with refreshing aplomb and become the new face of the franchise. Juventus realized halfway through the season that they couldn’t rely on Alvaro Morata or Moise Kean to score goals regularly, and in Vlahovic, they’ve found a player for the present and future.

2. Luis Diaz ?? Liverpool

Details: Signed from FC Porto for reported £37.5M fee

Liverpool went about these negotiations quietly. There was no public unveiling or tracking of incoming flights. Diaz was in Argentina for Colombia’s latest World Cup qualifier, unable to travel to Liverpool to finalize the deal, so the club sent its reps to South America instead and arranged a medical there before putting pen to paper. That’s how much they wanted to complete this signing. Putting aside Diaz’s own merits as a left-sided attacker with 14 goals and four assists in 18 Primeira Liga matches this season, his presence instantly gives Liverpool depth in attack and an alternative to either Sadio Mane or Mohamed Salah, who could allow their contracts to expire at the end of next season. If either of them walks away, Diaz will step in and offer the same electrifying output up front. Liverpool have been proactive here, and it should pay off.

1. Bruno Guimaraes ?? Newcastle United

Details: Signed from Lyon for reported £40M fee

Newcastle’s first transfer window under Saudi ownership was a success, and landing Guimaraes was their biggest coup of all. The Magpies warded off competition from Arsenal and Juventus to complete a deal for the 24-year-old Brazilian international midfielder. Guimaraes will help Newcastle retain possession and give his team the control it’s lacked in games thus far under manager Eddie Howe. The higher-ups have reportedly been scouting Guimaraes for several years, so they know what they’re getting. He’s not a name they found on transfermarkt.com – Guimaraes just wasn’t within Newcastle’s reach until they came into some money in October.

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