This is the story behind tennis star's kick-ass wedding sneakers

pulse

November 23, 2017 4:56 PM

We talked to Michelle Meneses, who bedazzled the Nike kicks, about how it all went down.

In the grand hierarchy of nuptial footwear, sneakers are the often-overlooked king: ergonomic, practical, comfortable enough to see you through a long night of dancing, and if you are Serena Williams, jazzy as hell.

The top tennis player donned bedazzled Nike Cortez sneakers underneath her Alexander McQueen gown for her wedding to Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian in New Orleans on November 16, People reports. Serena said on Instagram that the dress and its delicate cape made her feel like "a princess and superwoman all at once." But arguably, the most impressive accessory of all was Serena's pair of sneaks, which were hand-embellished with silver and gold crystals.

So who's the talent behind these iconic custom shoes? None other than self-taught designer and bedazzling expert Michelle Meneses.

"Meet Michelle @merakimishell the amazing woman behind my incredible @nike Cortez shoes," Serena captioned an Instagram video of Meneses hard at work. "Yes I wore them down the aisle! Comfort for this bride! Thanks Michelle!!!"

To get the full behind-the-scenes scoop, we caught up with Meneses to learn more about her incredible creation.

"Serena came to me with a last-minute idea for her wedding shoes—she had super-shiny vision, so I immediately thought of making the shiniest shoe possible!" Meneses told Women's Health via email. "I worked non-stop for 24 hours to get them done, and overnighted them and she had them the next day (on the morning of her wedding!)."

So what's next for this aspiring designer? "I can only dream of working with Swarovski and Nike," says Meneses. "And of course the idea of crystallizing Victoria Secret Angel wings one day!"

At this rate, we're sure she'll have her work dazzling the VS runway in no time!

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