This summer, Dr. D’Wayne Edwards, president of Pensole Lewis College—the nation’s first and only HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) focused entirely on design—joined us as a guest speaker at our annual staff and board retreat. Dr. Edwards is one of the most influential Black designers in the footwear industry, with a career spanning more than 32 years, including positions at L.A. Gear, Nike, and Jordan. From 2001 to 2011, he served as a footwear designer for Nike’s Jordan Brand, ultimately becoming the youngest design director in Nike’s history.
Reflecting on his journey, Dr. Edwards shared:
“I founded PENSOLE to give talented young design students—regardless of socioeconomic background—an opportunity to learn from the industry’s best, without financial barriers, and to provide the industry with a farm system for the next generation of footwear designers. Growing up my dream was to become a footwear designer, but there were no schools that taught that curriculum, and even if there had been, I couldn’t have afforded to attend. I created PENSOLE to provide students the opportunity I never had.”
Since its launch, PENSOLE has already transformed the industry pipeline, having graduates working professionally for leading footwear companies around the world. Those companies include: Bluehaven, Anta, The North Face, New Balance, Wolverine, Under Armour, Stride Rite, adidas, Jordan, and Nike.
At the retreat, Dr. Edwards shared his inspiring story and engaged our staff and board, answering questions on leadership, equity, and how to open more doors for the next generation of designers. Following the retreat, we had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Edwards for a more in-depth conversation. In this interview, he expanded on his journey and offered valuable insights in response to the following questions:
Why Sneakers?
“Sneakers are everything in a kid’s life. When you think about it, they are a kid's first mode of transportation. That mode of transportation speaks volumes about who they are as a person. They become one of the most personalized forms of self –expression that young people wear. For school kids, shoes are often the first impression that they make amongst their classmates and friends.
Sneakers saved my life because I was born in Inglewood, CA. I was a sneakerhead before the term existed. I was blessed with the ability to draw anything that I could see. I became a sneaker designer at a very young age. That allowed me the opportunity to leave Inglewood, get jobs, and travel around the world. I met people I never thought I would meet, let alone work with people like Michael Jordan and Tinker Hatfield. Sneakers became my sanctuary; designing shoes kept me out of trouble and inside instead of out in the streets. Sneakers have changed my entire life and allowed me to redefine who I am as a person. Now my kids are into sneakers as well, creating their own path and their own journey. They literally designed my life.”
Why Shoes That Fit?
“I chose to work with STF because I thought this was a cool org, and I started to dig in a little. I’m big on karma and the universe. I grew pretty quickly and out of shoes quickly as a kid. I would have been forever grateful to have an org like STF as a kid. Now I am in the position to be able to understand how important sneakers are to kids, to be able to be a part of an organization that provides new sneakers to kids who actually need them; that is a different level of blessing.”
“You are talking about an impact on a kid's life with a simple gesture of giving them a pair of shoes that can redefine how they approach their daily journey in school. Something that can help them do better in school, something that can make them feel good about and proud about. Self-esteem changes. Shoes That Fit—you are amazing. It is an amazing blessing what you are doing.”
Greatest Accomplishment
“Giving my kids the same gift my mother gave me, the gift of creativity and the gift of giving back to others.”
What is your favorite sneaker that you have designed?
“They are all of my kids. The one that means the most to me is the Air Jordan 2. 1988 is the year I graduated from high school. The last sneaker I designed in high school was the Air Jordan 2. Twelve years later I was sitting at Jordan Brand. My first assignment was to redesign the Air Jordan 2. That was a full circle moment for me because it meant that I was meant to be in that space, in that moment, in that time. I drew the shoe in five minutes. When it was released, I was the proudest that I have ever been. It was the connecting moment to let me know that I was on the journey and the path that I was supposed to be on. It was something that I dreamed about as a kid, and it became real. When it became real, I knew that I could do anything that I thought about. I put forward the energy because I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. So I would say the new Jordan Retro 2 is the most important sneaker that I have ever designed.”
Words of advice for future designers
“For anyone out there that wants to be a designer, don’t think about the success, the money, or the opportunity; focus on the craft. Focus on the idea that if you are great at something, someone else will tell someone else about it. In my opinion, true greatness happens in silence. Other people speak on your greatness. When you become great at something, you inspire other people. My advice would be to create to inspire others. Seek to be a designer who inspires others.”
