Osamu Koyama spent two months crafting the unique footwear from his studio in Brooklyn, initially using wax molds.

The boots were made for Nike and are customised with a combination of both brass and gold plating. They cost thousands of pounds to manufacture.

The shoe giants handpicked 12 artists to contribute their artistry to the 2012 Shoe Shine show, an annual event for the snowboarding community held in Denver this year.

Mr Koyama said: "I took some time to design and build an idea behind this custom Nike boots project.

"Usually I don't start making things before decide what is the concept for each project. The wax models were the hardest part. This is easily the biggest thing I've ever made in my life.

Born in Japan, Mr Koyama moved to New York in 1999 as a student and began his own jewellery company called Complete Technique.