PENSOLE and Adidas announced the first full-scale class of PENSOLE, the accelerated footwear design academy, to be held at its new Old Town/Chinatown campus in the Goldsmith Blocks.
This inaugural three-week master class in partnership with Adidas, called “PENSOLEOGRAPHY,” is June 4 to June 22 and open to applicants nationwide. The hands-on, intensive program is designed to share knowledge and help inspire, guide and challenge future footwear designers to reach their creative potential.
D'Wayne Edwards, a celebrated member of the global footwear community, 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.
“PENSOLEOGRAPHY marks a very important milestone for our school,” Edwards said. “Not only is it the first full-scale class to be held at our new campus, but it’s also our first major-brand partnership for a single class.”
PENSOLEOGRAPHY's curriculum will feature guest speakers and instructors from adidas as well as noted members from the marketing and branding segments of the industry. Core to the PENSOLEOGRAPHY course, students will be immersed in the footwear design process with a specific focus on performance design and innovation and how to bring to life creations with performance benefits.
“We're excited to partner with D'Wayne Edwards and PENSOLE for this unique master class on performance footwear design and innovation,” said Rob Lee, vice president of design for sport performance at Adidas. “Building and cultivating the global design community is an important part of our leadership role in footwear design and supporting young designers is fundamental to the growth and progress of our industry.”
Interested applicants can visit PENSOLE.com for more information. Adidas will provide scholarships for program tuition and housing for selected students. At the end of the three-week program, students will present new footwear designs to Adidas design executives, who may opt to put them into production.
