Aside from being on store shelves competing for business, Nike, adidas, and Under Armour usually aren't in the same room together. It's surprising that they set all differences aside to invest in the future of footwear design, and the three sportswear giants are helping sponsor Pensole Footwear Design Academy, a crash-course that looks to bring diversity to footwear designers that's been around since 2010.
According to Portland Business Journal, "The class was a 'passion project' for Pensole founder D'Wayne Edwards who was one of three African-American footwear designers when he started in the industry in 1989. Edwards went on to work for several companies, including Nike's Jordan Brand, before founding Portland-based Pensole."
Nike, Jordan Brand, adidas, and Under Armour hosted four students each by providing housing during the event. Students were place on teams and were assigned to design a specific sneaker for their sponsor.
This sort of class gives the attendees great experience in the footwear world that they won't receive in a traditional classroom. According to the article, Pensole has placed more than 100 of its students in full-time positions in the footwear industry, jobs that aren't easy to come by.
