Introducing The World’s First Sneaker Design Academy

Some kids dream of becoming an astronaut or a fireman. D’wayne Edwards only wanted to do one thing: design shoes. He was 11 when he sketched his first sneaker using a number two pencil. But Edwards didn’t see a path forward for himself in the footwear industry. A big stumbling block was that there were no shoe design schools where he could learn the craft. Edwards eventually got a job as a file clerk for sneaker brand L.A. Gear. Every day for six months, he put a different shoe sketch in the company’s employee suggestion box. The company eventually got the message and hired him to become a designer at the age of 19, making him the youngest professional designer at the industry. He went on to top design roles at brands like Sketchers and Nike, and over the course of his career, he has produced 500 men’s and women’s shoes ranging from athletic to casual to formal. But when he was in a position to hire young designers, he found that the lack of footwear training continued to be a gap in the industry. Read more at Fast Company.