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SNEAKER ESSENTIALS COURSE

Fashion Institute of Technology faculty, together with leaders from Complex and across the sneaker world, will teach you about the key areas, and related career opportunities in the ever-evolving sneaker industry through Yellowbrick’s sneaker essentials course.

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100% Online Certificate

Instructors and Industry Experts

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Joe La Puma
Host & Creator, Sneaker Shopping
SVP Content Strategy, Complex Media
Jeron Smith
Co-Founder, HEIR
Chris "Coseezy" Strachan
Founder and CEO, Kick’nit
Brendan Dunne
General Manager, Sole Collector
Kenneth Anand
Author, Professor, and Co-Creator, Sneaker Law
Den Ly
Footwear Designer, Cole Haan and FIT Instructor
Sarah Mullins
Accessories Design Chair, FIT
Nick DePaula
NBA Features Writer, ESPN
Jared Goldstein
Author, Professor, and Co-Creator, Sneaker Law
Richard "Maze" Lopez
Director of Brand Strategy, Bleacher Report
Gregg Woodcock
Adjunct Instructor, Accessories Design, FIT
Susan Boyle
Owner, Rime Sneaker Boutique

Learn The Business

Get insider access to key areas of the industry with 45+ on-demand video lessons, and build real-world skills through self-paced projects and simulations.

Map Your Career

Learn about all the various career paths in the sneaker world, and get first-hand tips and advice on how to achieve your goals from the biggest names in the business.

Boost Your Cred

Earn a Certificate of Achievement in Sneaker Essentials from the world-renowned FIT to add to your profile.

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curriculum

Explore how sneakers evolved from performance gear to global fashion and investment assets. Learn key moments in sneaker history, top brands, and how resale marketplaces work, then build a portfolio based on your own pair.

Follow the sneaker design process from first brief to prototype. Learn how inspiration, color, materials, ergonomics, and branding come together, and create a concept for your own sneaker design.

See how sneakers move from design to factory floor. Break down pattern making, upper assembly, construction methods, and quality control, and map out the full manufacturing flow for a pair of sneakers.

Understand how sneakers reach consumers through trade shows, big-box retailers, boutiques, online stores, and resale platforms. Study drop strategies and aftermarket channels, then develop a concept for your own boutique sneaker brand.

Learn how to build a sneaker brand story that connects with fans. Explore brand positioning, traditional and digital marketing, endorsements, collaborations, and nonprofit partnerships, then create a marketing plan for your own sneaker line.

Discover how blogs, social media, video, and influencers drive sneaker hype. Analyze big sneaker media moments, learn to grow your digital presence, and produce your own unboxing video to showcase your skills.

Get the legal basics for launching and protecting a sneaker business. Compare business structures, learn how to secure trademarks and copyrights, and break down key clauses in sneaker deals so you can move forward with confidence.

Level up. On YOUR schedule.

The program includes 7 online course modules, and related skill-building activities. Each module is 3-5 hours, and is broken into several shorter lessons that students complete at their own pace. Students earn a non-credit certificate of completion from FIT.

Student Feedback

Since taking Sneaker Essentials, I left an industry I wasn't passionate about, and it motivated me to get a job in sneakers, and now I'm working at Footlocker HQ.
Byron JohnsonSneaker essentials grad
Byron Johnson
I enjoyed the course extremely, and it honestly helped me land my new job at the New Balance headquarters. I'm living my dream!
Kevin TrotmanSneaker Essentials Grad
Kevin Trotman
I would say to my friend that this course is something you will not regret. If you even have a slight passion for sneakers I believe this is the right course for you. It is different and very informative and the way the information is presented by different instructors prevents the course from becoming stagnant which is an added bonus to any course.
Timothy RattanSneaker essentials grad
Timothy Rattan
I took the course when I learned I just got accepted for an Internship in Footwear Product Management for adidas Originals. The course truly helped me to enter the Industry better prepared and aware of what creating a product entails.
Mathilde GarnierSneaker essentials grad
Mathilde Garnier
I have been able to get more interviews with fashion companies and sneaker companies.
TiffanySneaker essentials grad
Tiffany
The design your own boutique course made me stretch myself in ways I have never done. Coming up with a building layout, figuring out how to get a logo, coming up with my mission; it all showed me how hard these store owners actually work to give consumers a great experience. The average person would never know this had it not been for this course. I now have a whole portfolio to open up my own store if I wanted too.
Tierra RichSneaker essentials grad
Tierra Rich
My perspective on combining business and art has shifted. I'm more confident in business and more focused on monetizing my creativity.
Dellian Sharp IISneaker essentials grad
Dellian Sharp II

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