NICE SHOES TURNS THIRTY
Today marks 30 years of Nice Shoes.
Thank you.
On February 12, 1996, we started with a few core principles: create great work, treat people with respect, and deliver more than we promise. Three decades later, that same drive to improve and evolve still defines everything we do.
Some of the Nice Shoes team at a Yankees Outing, with Shoesians from New York, Texas, Boston, Toronto, and Ukraine, 2025
Over the years, our studio grew naturally alongside the work. What started as color and finishing expanded into design, animation, visual effects, immersive experiences, and live action production services. This evolution came from listening to our clients and responding to what their projects needed. We listened and reacted, to get you to where you need to be.
Budweiser – Instant Replay, Colored by Chris Ryan 2003
Through every evolution, the goal stayed the same: bring ideas to life, shape concept into content, and create motion with emotion. COO Justin Pandolfino sees that balance as key to our studio’s longevity. “Survival comes down to evolution,” he says. “Staying curious, listening, and being willing to change. That’s what keeps you moving forward.”
“Staying curious, listening, and being willing to change. That’s what keeps you moving forward.”
Nice Shoes’ 1st Birthday, 1997
At the center of that evolution are the people. Nice Shoes was built by Founder Dom Pandolfino and a team of artists, engineers, and producers who care deeply about craft and collaboration. That care lives on in the details: in the client journey, how problems are solved, and how relationships grow. Not just across projects, but across years.
Our founder, Dominic Pandolfino, Late 1990s
Coca-Cola presents Real Music featuring Common and Mya, beautifully brought to life by Chris Ryan in 2003
There are moments that make that history feel very real. Seeing a commercial we worked on air during the Super Bowl. Hearing a film we colored get recognized at the Oscars. Receiving the Cannes Lion Grand Prix. These moments never lose their impact, no matter how long you’ve been doing this.
Nice Shoes’ 20th Christmas, 2016
Moments like these don’t happen alone. Every project is the result of collaboration: artists, producers, engineers, and clients working together, often under pressure, always with trust. That sense of partnership has defined Nice Shoes from the start and continues to shape how we work today.
Pepsi – The Joy Of Cola featuring Kiss, Colored by Chris Ryan, 2000
NYFEST Soccer Tournament, 2017
Kendrick Llamar – i, Colored by Gene Curley, 2015
Minneapolis Creative Hub Opening, 2025
Beyoncé – Blue Colored by Lenny Mastrandrea, 2013
And we’re not done. We’re still experimenting, still learning, still looking for new ways to make the work better. The tools will keep changing. The workflows will keep shifting. The industry will keep surprising us.
The Nice Shoes Rooftop at 352 Park Avenue, Late 1990s
What won’t change is why we’re here: to make meaningful work, push visuals forward, and do it with people we respect. For 30 years, we’ve put passion into every step. And if you look closely, you’ll see stories that were crafted with sole.
As we celebrate 30 years, we’re grateful to everyone who’s been part of this journey, past and present. The clients who trusted us early. The collaborators who pushed us to try something new. The teammates who helped build, rebuild, and keep evolving what Nice Shoes is.
Thirty years in, we’re still excited about what’s next.
