15 Sneaker Designers You Should Know

Image via Complex Original

Tobie Hatfield 

Company: Nike

Significant Shoes: Free Series 

Tinker isn't the only Hatfield responsible for some of Nike's greatest creations—his younger brother Tobie joined the brand in 1990 as a senior engineer and is known as the genius who led the push behind one of the most comfortable series of sneakers of all time—the Nike Free. 

Robbie Fuller

Brand: adidas

Significant sneakers: adiZero Crazy Light and Crazy Light 2

Robbie Fuller doesn't even look old enough to be on the JV, squad but he already has some pretty impressive accomplishments under his belt as a sneaker designer. Fuller has been instrumental in helping adidas trim the fat off its basketball line and putting out some great lightweight kicks for the court. 

Peter Moore

Brand: Nike 

Significant shoe: Air Jordan 1  

Peter Moore has been involved with just about anything you find cool—including video games, basketball kicks, and especially designing the sneaker that changed everything. Tinker Hatfield receives all the daps for his work with MJ, but it was Moore who created the first Jordan (and the ball and wings logo) that started a phenomenon. Michael was already skeptical about the brand and we all know the story about what Tinker did with the IIIs but you have to believe that if Moore didn't kill it from the jump the rest of it easily may have never happened. Later, after moving to adidas, he created the "Three Bars" logo most associate with adidas Equipment. Quite the résumé.

Tuan Le

Brand: And 1

Significant shoes: And 1 Tai Chi and And 1 Lottery Mid 

If you're still in college or high school you might not even remember when And 1 all but ruled the NBA, but for a minute—thanks to Stephon Marbury, Vince Carter, and freelance designer Tuan Le—the little company was making a lot of noise. Who could forget the yin and yang design of the Tai Chi on Vinsanity's feet while he committed premeditated murder on the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest field? And 1's best shoe ever and a certifiable classic. 

Scott Hewett

Company: Reebok

Significant shoes: The Question, The Answer I - VII

A true artist, Hewett was hired by Reebok after proving to the world he was one of the best at creating nothing into something with his paintings. Hewett wasn't exactly a basketball guy (he had to be told who Allen Iverson was) but his work on AI's line at the beginning of his career is still one of the strongest runs in signature sneaker history. 

Aaron Cooper

Brand: Nike

Significant shoes: Air Pippen, Air Zoom Ultraflight, Trainer 1

Michael had Tinker and Scottie had Coop. If you checked out Nike's 20 Years of Nike Basketball Design then you're likely familiar with Aaron Cooper's work. He started Pippen off into his own notable signature series, created some high-flying basketball kicks, and classic trainers all for The Swoosh. If you have played ball, odds are at some point you have rocked an Aaron Cooper creation. 

Justin Taylor 

Brand: Jordan

Significant shoes:  Melo M6 - M9, Sixty Plus, Alpha Trunner 

The Jordan Trunners have an almost cult-like following and you can thank this man for the continued development of the underrated trainers. Justin Taylor has been one of Jordan Brand's great minds helping put together the less high-profile shoes that hold the brand together, and has also been Melo's go-to man on his signature series since the M6.

Jeremy Sallee

Brand: Reebok

Significant shoes: Kamikaze III, Wall III ZigEscape, Classic Jam

If you're in the e-streets screaming "Reebok Back," then you need thank this man. Jeremy Sallee has been helping Swizz resurrect the Kamizake line and keeping John Wall looking fresh on the court (er, when he's actually out there). 

Jason Petrie

Brand: Nike

Significant shoes: LeBron 7 - X 

It's no secret that Tinker Hatfield wasn't a huge fan of rookie LeBron and his entourage, but Jason Petrie appears to be meshing well with the current king of the NBA. Petrie took over from Ken Link following the Zoom LeBron VI, and has been a pivotal part of Bron-Bron's sneaker movement that has quickly become untouchable by anyone else in the league. The innovation of technology incorporated into the kicks, designs, and sick colorways have LeBron's signature line near the top of the game.

Jon Warren 

Company: Vans 

Significant shoes: Rowley XL2, Escobar, TNT II

As the head of footwear design classics over at Vans, Jon Warren didn't design all of Vans's all-time classics, but he played a large role in bringing back favorites and making others better. And before he was put in charge, he earned his (side) stripes by designing signature product for a mess of pro skaters. Fickle bunch.

Tinker Hatfield

Company: Nike

Significant shoes: Air Jordan III, IV, XI, Air Max 1, Huarache runner, Air Safari

When you talk about Nike classics, Tinker Hatfield is the first name that comes to mind. Without him we don't have many of Nike's greatest runners and basketball shoes as well as the Air Jordan III and beyond. It was Tinker's vision that helped build the brand to the status it has reached and mentoring the youth that will allow the company to be just as strong down the road—a true OG.

Sergio Lozano

Company: Nike

Significant shoe: Air Max 95 

The human body was the inspiration for Lozano's timeless design, the attention to detail on these were crazy. The upper from midsole to center was inspired by human skin and spine, the colors building atop one another from the outsole to tongue, and the quality of materials were amazing. The original "Neon" gradient presently still looks dope — as do any number of the zillion other colorways that have released since then.

Tom Luedecke

Company: Nike/Jordan

Significant shoes: Air Jordan 2011 and 2012, Nike Zoom Kobe IV, V, VI, and VII

Luedecke has been a driving force over the past decade at Nike and Jordan Brand, helping keep things strong with the company's two biggest superstars—Mike and Kobe. His technical work on the lines alone (alongside Tinker Hatfield and Eric Avar respectively) has cemented his name as one of the best of the best and although he apparently has departed from Nike/Jordan, we have a feeling he will be in the mix again soon cooking up something for your feet. 

Bruce Kilgore 

Company: Nike

Significant shoes: Nike Air Force 1, Air Jordan II, Sock Racer 

As we celebrate the 30th birthday of the Nike Air Force 1, we have this man to thank. Bruce Kilgore had the blueprint to one of the greatest basketball sneakers of the '80s and lifestyle sneakers of the 2000s. The sneaker was the first basketball shoe to feature the timeless Air sole unit helping guards and centers alike play in comfort and style on the playgrounds and hardwood. You can still hit us with two pairs—the white on whites will never grow old. He also designed what was intended to be the AF1's follow-up, the Air Ship—which was worn by Michael Jordan before his Air Jordans were ready.—the Air Jordan II and the Sock Racer, not to mention the love-it-or-hate-it Air Pressure. And 30 years later, Kilgore is still innovating.

Eric Avar

Company: Nike

Significant shoes: Air Max Penny, Air Foamposite One, Zoom Kobe VII, Zoom Flight 98 "The Glove"

One of the top chefs in Nike's Innovation Kitchen, Eric Avar has been cooking up crack ever since your first laced a pair of Pennys. His creations have always been futuristic and left other companies scratching their heads on how they can catch up. Answer: They can't.