BERKELEY, Calif. — In the hours leading up to practice, Jayda Noble sits at her desk, applying fresh black paint to her left hand, where hints of white, red, pink, and purple paint already streak along her wrist. This artistic expression often extends to her university basketball gear.
Noble is focused on adding the finishing touches to a pair of custom shoes she designed for Myles Rice, an Indiana guard and her former teammate at Washington State. This marks the beginning of Rice’s season with the Hoosiers after transferring.
“Every piece I create helps me to improve my craft,” she explains. “It might be brushwork or different techniques, and it serves as my personal time. While it can get stressful at times, maintaining a consistent rhythm makes it enjoyable.”
Stacked near the entrance of her Berkeley apartment is a collection of shoes that Noble is in the process of painting, as she fits in art with a packed schedule that includes basketball and graduate business studies at Cal. After moving from Washington, she brought a myriad of art supplies, including several large-scale paintings to the Bay Area. Art is not just a hobby for her; it also fulfills a business aspect, with her creative prowess showcased on her Instagram under the name “Jayyycasso,” a nod to Picasso.
Rice, who spent the 2022-23 season recovering from Hodgkin’s lymphoma, wore the Spider-Man-themed shoes that Noble painted for him during his first home game. He cherishes the shoes and plans to use them sparingly to keep them pristine.
“They’re incredibly beautiful and truly resonate with me,” Rice emphasized. “The Spider-Man theme is because it’s one of my favorite superheroes, and I love that it includes my cancer ribbon—it holds personal significance.”
Rice intends to order additional shoes from Noble throughout the season, not just for himself but also as gifts for his family. Their friendship blossomed during their time in Washington.
Noble also crafted Taylor Swift-themed shoes for a close friend, adding, “While I’m not the biggest fan, I had a lot of fun creating them.”
On her days off, Noble is often found painting late into the night—so much so that her roommate and fellow teammate, Kayla Williams, sometimes checks on her at 2:30 a.m., surprised to see her still at work.
“She’ll ask, ‘What are you still doing awake?’ and I’ll respond, ‘What about you?’” Noble recounted.
To keep her creativity flowing, she rotates about six pairs of shoes, allowing her to switch projects as needed. “It helps to start on a different shoe when I’m stuck on one. It keeps things interesting for me,” she shared.
Noble has crafted shoes for each of her teammates and the Cal coaching staff and is nearly finished with 15 special projects, referred to as “PR boxes.” These shoes are designed for prominent players who may help elevate her brand. UConn’s Paige Bueckers received a pair, and TCU’s Hailey Van Lith recently got a pair adorned with flowers and a horned frog—her school mascot.
“They’re exquisite. Her talent is evident, and I’m grateful she chose to create something beautiful for me. It highlights her genuine nature,” Van Lith expressed. “You can’t help but love the authenticity Jayda carries.”
Noble has attracted interest from a couple of sneaker enthusiasts on the Golden State Warriors, potentially painting shoes for Jonathan Kuminga and Lindy Waters III in the future.
On the court, the 5-foot-11 guard has made a significant impact for No. 24 Cal with her spirited energy and tenacious defense. During the Golden Bears’ recent 83-63 win against Stanford, she hit a 3-pointer, contributing to a record-setting 18 3-pointers for the team.
Coach Charmin Smith is already a fan of Noble’s shoes and plans to expand her collection. “Those Jayyycasso creations are incredible,” Smith noted.
Noble’s creative talent is something she’s cultivated from a young age, having painted alongside her mother, who has a passion for scrapbooking.
As she nears completion of a project, Noble carefully examines each shoe, ensuring perfection before finalizing it. “I review everything thoroughly and either fix mistakes with paint remover or add white paint to tidy them up,” she elaborated.
Noble sets her prices based on her time spent and the urgency of the order; most custom shoes are around $175, and painted boxes are an extra $15. Having sold two pairs to Rice, she even offered him a discount.
“I’ve watched her journey since the beginning,” Rice reflected. “We shared the experience of being in the Pac-12 together, and seeing how far she’s come is inspiring. I’m genuinely happy for her achievements.”