John Barth of Wantagh is lacing up creativity, one sneaker at a time! The local gym teacher started a hobby of hand painting and airbrushing sneakers. His business is called JCKicks. "I do this at home, in my free time," said John.

During the day at school, John goes by Mr. Barth. At home, he's an artist. "Kids at my high school know that I have a vast collection of sneakers, so sneakers have always been a passion of mine,” said John. John had never considered himself an artist until recently.

"It started from COVID. I was never one to sit around a lot, and there was a lot of sitting there, so I taught myself how to customize sneakers," said John. He learned the technique from watching YouTube videos.

For John, his hobby has become a home run. He created a work of art for former Mets all-star Jose Reyes. "He ordered a pair of Air Force Ones that I created, and that was pretty incredible when I did that. I heard that name and saw my sneakers on his Instagram," said John. "That was a wow moment."

John has shipped his work throughout the country. It's all done inside his Wantagh home. You can place your order via Instagram.