Welsh Artist Speaks Out: Stage Partner Wore My Shoes During Performance

Tesni DeLuna, originally from Cardiff, embarked on her painting business unexpectedly while working at a gym in Austin, Texas. This young artist has since gained recognition for designing custom shoes and products for celebrities such as Usher, Drake, and Lil Baby.

Ms. DeLuna moved to Connecticut when she was 12 years old but lost her job during the pandemic. She then relocated to Austin where her business took off by chance. A colleague noticed her coloring instead of working at a desk and asked if she could paint his daughter’s “boring” white shoes.

“I’ve been painting shoes ever since,” Ms. DeLuna told BBC Cymru Fyw. Her work expanded to include a variety of other products, attracting an impressive clientele that includes world-renowned rapper Rod Wave, professional golfer Sergio Garcia, basketball star Cameron Brink, and CrossFit champion Noah Ohlsen.

“Usher has worn my shoes on stage,” she said. “There’s also a picture of Lil Baby holding three pairs I gave him.” While Ms. DeLuna doesn’t often meet the celebrities in person, she receives tickets to their concerts frequently, including from Drake and Usher. She described this as “a lot of fun.”

Ms. DeLuna is expecting her first baby girl soon and has already made many shoes for her. The family plans to return to Wales for Christmas, a place deeply rooted in Ms. DeLuna’s history.

In 2025, she hopes to work with more female athletes and grow the business by dedicating full-time energy towards it after previously working a standard nine-to-five job and painting shoes on evenings only. Her firm is currently booming despite being rejected on Dragons’ Den.