Fashion Maverick
Dr. D’Wayne Edwards
President, Pensole Lewis College
Dr. D’Wayne Edwards began his career as a footwear designer at LA Gear in 1989, at just 19 years old, without formal education. Over the past 35 years, he has designed over 500 footwear styles for iconic artists like Tupac, Notorious B.I.G., Dr. Dre, and Snoop Dogg, and has secured more than 50 patents. His designs have been worn by athletes at six Olympic Games and showcased in MLB, NFL, and NBA stadiums. In 2010, he founded PENSOLE, the first U.S. academy dedicated to footwear design, which has placed over 700 alumni in top companies. He’s also taught at prestigious institutions like ArtCenter and MIT. A champion of diversity, Edwards organized the Black Footwear Forum and launched JEMS, a platform for young Black designers. In 2022, he led the reopening of Detroit’s Pensole Lewis College, the first design-focused HBCU.
His stunning career has earned him several honors, most recently the 2025 American Image Awards Fashion Maverick! Let’s talk a bit more about his path to this award.
At just 19 you began your career as an entry-level footwear designer at LA Gear. What sparked your passion for footwear design and how did you break down barriers to secure that opportunity at such a young age?
I was born an artist with the ability to draw anything I could see. I often drew characters like Tippy the Turtle in TV competitions and won four times by the time I was twelve. In 1981, I discovered design when I started designing the shoes I wanted my favorite football players to wear and won a design contest that Reebok held when I was seventeen. With no money to attend college, I gave up on my dream of becoming a footwear designer until I started working as a temp employee at LA Gear as a file clerk. After putting 180 sketches in a company suggestion box over the course of six months, Robert Greenberg, the founder of LA Gear and a prominent figure in the footwear industry, offered me a job at the age of nineteen.
You have designed over 500 footwear styles for legendary artists like Tupac, Notorious B.I.G., Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Nas, as well as sports icons like Michael Jordan and Derek Jeter. When working with such distinguished figures, how do approach the design process?
You know how an actor must become the roles they play to excel at their craft? Well, I wanted to be great, so whenever I designed a product, I tried to become the person I was designing for, allowing me to truly honor them by telling their story through sneakers. I have been blessed to meet and experience the lives of so many amazing artists and athletes, and I have traveled all over the world just because of sneakers. Every time I start a new project, I begin with a blank piece of paper, allowing my imagination to fill the pages until I am full.
Beyond the classroom, how does Pensole Lewis College (PLC Detroit) support students and alumni in securing career opportunities?
What we do at PLC in the classroom prepares our Future Professionals for their next steps. We build relationships with our Future Professionals that continue even after they leave us, offering mentoring in areas such as crisis management on the job, workplace politics, compensation, and career decisions. In some instances, our relationship extends beyond work as they start families, allowing us to share valuable life lessons. We emphasize to all our Future Professionals that our relationship ends only when they decide it does.
How do you see the college’s role evolving in the future of footwear design education?
Expanding into other creative careers adjacent to footwear is essential for the future of the industry. To ensure a sustainable future in footwear, we must integrate knowledge from other industries. There is a wide diversity of design careers available, and our goal at PLC is to collaborate with the right industry partners to create talent pipeline opportunities for both their companies and our Future Professionals. While footwear will always be our bread and butter, our purpose is to be a well-rounded college with a carefully curated educational foundation that will drive future careers.
Throughout your illustrious career, you have become a mentor and role model to many. Who have been the key role models or mentors who influenced your journey?
#1 is my mother! She is the one who blessed me with the gift because she had it too. My brothers and sister supported my sneaker habit as a kid by buying me the kicks I wanted. Learning about amazing people like Jackie Robinson and Bruce Lee instilled in me professionalism, discipline, focus, and the desire to become a better person. Bruce Lee also inspired me to be a constant student of life and learn more from the people who enter my life every day. Of course, my career mentors include Robert Greenberg, who took a chance on a young Black kid from Inglewood and gave me my first job at the age of 19. Michael Jordan who taught me that while I may not fly like him, having a passion and love for something can transform your life and your family's lives. Lastly, I would mention our Future Professionals.
Get your tickets to support Dr. D’Wayne Edwards and the future of the industry! We look forward to an incredible celebration on April 29!