The Unexpected Path to Footwear Design
I often reflect on my journey as a creative, particularly as a Footwear Designer. It’s been an unconventional path, and yes, this will be a long one.
A little background—I’ve been on my own since I was 15, armed with no formal design training beyond some fantastic high school courses led by incredible teachers. Footwear design wasn’t even on my radar when I opened my design studio in my early 20s. Despite my love for footwear (three full closets worth), my focus was graphic design and illustration.
In 2009, I entered a design contest for Ryz Footwear, a crowdsourced platform similar to Threadless (thanks Rob Langstaff). I won one of the rounds, and my design was applied to their silhouette. But even then, designing an actual shoe from the ground up didn’t cross my mind.
During this period, I worked on apparel, branding, and illustration for Nike and Adidas. Yet, footwear still wasn’t a consideration. That all changed though when Brooks Running reached out in 2011 with an in-house Illustrator role.
I was at a turning point—I was burnt out on freelance and craving an in-house team environment. After meeting the awesome team there, I took the job. Three months in, I found myself designing tech branding and logos for footwear. Through conversations with then Creative Director Anthony Piazza, I transitioned to the Footwear Colour & Trend Team under Jennifer Weiss's leadership, setting the foundation for my career in footwear design.
Immersing Myself in Footwear
The plan was to learn the entire process over the next few years. For 2.5 years, I traveled to China and Vietnam, fully immersing myself in footwear design. I loved it, but I wasn’t great at it yet.
I had no Industrial Design background and no formal training—I had to push my way in. None of this would have worked without the right people taking a chance on me. I was lucky to have mentors like Todd Dean, Indrajith Gunasekara, Richard Zartman, Ahern Laurinat, and Gabriel Ortega, who supported my growth.
After a few years, Brooks started to change—leadership shifts made it feel less like home. I decided to leave and return to freelancing, armed with new skills and a deeper understanding of footwear.
Returning to Footwear & Rebuilding Confidence
For three years, I freelanced, working mainly in illustration and graphic design. But something felt off. I missed footwear.
Brooks reached out for illustration work, which eventually led to design projects. Under Ahern Laurinat’s guidance, I re-entered footwear design. But my skills were rusty, and I struggled with self-confidence.
I was now surrounded by a new generation of highly skilled Industrial Designers. I felt out of my league. Instead of giving up, I created more content, explored more ideas, and focused on problem-solving. If I couldn’t match their polish, I’d show up with fully thought-out construction solutions. With the assistance of this newer generation of designers I found myself often inspired and encouraged to keep pushing forward.
At Brooks, I found my niche in biomechanics, collaborating with the lab and weartest teams. I realized my strength wasn’t just in design but in problem-solving for runners. This mindset helped me take the reins on Brooks’ top-selling running shoes, including the Ghost and Adrenaline franchises, under the guidance of Ahern Laurinat and Gabriel Ortega.
I also worked on revitalizing models like the Levitate, Revel, Launch, and Ricochet to name a few. Beyond design, I grew into a collaborative leader, helping improve processes and cross-team relationships.
A New Challenge at Under Armour
Eventually, I left Brooks for a Senior Design Lead role at Under Armour. This was supposed to be my big break right? It was not.
Six months from when I was hired to when I started, UA changed drastically. The brand I joined was not the brand I had signed up for. I worked hard, helping lead a small team, setting up processes, and supporting designers through tough times. But that creeping feeling of self-doubt returned.
Despite my efforts, I struggled mentally. And my attitude towards the brand started to change drastically. That’s when I finally sought professional testing and was diagnosed with severe ADHD and possible autism traits.
Strangely, this diagnosis was a relief. It gave me answers, a path forward. I opened up to my team, and their support was overwhelming. But even with newfound clarity, my time at UA was coming to an end.
Rock Bottom & Reinvention
Being laid off from UA was both heartbreaking and a relief. I threw myself into rebuilding—refining my portfolio, freelancing for brands like FILA and True Motion among others, and even writing and recording a 4th studio album.
For eight months, I applied relentlessly for jobs, reaching final rounds in over 10 major roles—including a grueling 2.5-month process for an Adidas Design Director position—only to lose out to internal hires.
I was starting to realize that maybe this increasingly shakey corporate footwear industry wasn’t built for creatives like me.
I realized I couldn’t keep forcing myself into a system that wasn’t working. And I started to realize that maybe the person I had to become to make it work in US corporate culture wasn't a person I wanted to be. Getting back into freelancing though gave me the flexibility I had missed, and I decided to take full advantage of it. My wife and I made a bold choice—we relocated to Belize.
After an unforgettable road trip through Mexico, we’re now settled in Belize.
Lessons Learned
So what’s the takeaway?
Maybe it’s that your background, disabilities, or challenges don’t define you—you just need to surround yourself with the right people. Connect, empathize, and work with brands that value the same. Recognize your limitations, ask for help, and be vulnerable.
My career has been full of highs and lows, built without formal training but through perseverance, collaboration, and timing. If I can navigate this industry, I have no doubt that the next generations of designers can too.
To everyone who’s been part of my journey—thank you. Here’s to the future and the incredible people I’ll continue to meet along the way.
