Student Success: Ebony C. Watson
Sneaker Essentials Graduate. Advocate. Digital Creator.
Student Success: Victoria Marie Hoppe
Sneaker Essentials Graduate. Fashion enthusiast. Marketing Director for Miami’s Best Graffiti Guide.
Student Success: Michael Pardovany, New Balance
Sneaker Essentials Graduate. Innovator. Product Developer for Lifestyle at New Balance.
MADE: How Kenneth Anand made a career in sneaker law
Kenneth Anand, former General Counsel of Yeezy and the co-author of Sneaker Law, walks us through how he turned his sneaker passion into a career in law.
How to Become a Footwear Buyer
Footwear Buyers are responsible for the sales forecasting and buying for sneakers for men, women, or kid’s categories.
Sneaker School Grad Gets A Nod From Forbes 30 Under 30
Naz, a Sneaker Essentials graduate, recently launched MIDSOLE MAG. MIDSOLE MAG is a women’s digital sneaker-based fashion magazine based in Turkey. She launched the magazine after taking the course and realizing there was an opportunity to tell the stories behind sneakers in Turkey. Naz is a candidate for the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. She wrote about her experience in the article below.
In May 2020, I created an online sneaker-based fashion magazine called
“MIDSOLE MAG”. My biggest reason for creating this magazine was to support women in the sneaker industry and spreading that culture. I started this business with zero budget and in the midst of a pandemic, it became
extremely successful. There is a common misconception that women are not as involved in sneaker culture as men, but that is not true. We have
proven that through having a staff made up entirely of women. Therefore,
I wish to use my career as a tool to highlight that women have long been
a part of the sneaker scene and to give them the recognition that they
deserve.
MIDSOLE MAG is an online magazine (www.midsolemag.com). As a Gen Z’er, I wanted to design something that speaks to my generation and highlights the issues that we face. My generation is known for being “Born with technology,” so an “e-mag” seemed like the perfect place to start. We
have a very active Website and Instagram audience, along with a magazine application called “Dergilik”. Dergilik only accepts well-known
magazines like Vogue, Elle and now MIDSOLE MAG is amongst them. Also, it is the only streetwear magazine in Turkey and without any paid promotion we gained a total of 14K followers in less than six months.
Furthermore, shortly after the first issue, we started to collaborate on
creative projects with global brands such as Nike, Reebok, Converse,
Lacoste and local brands / sneaker stores such as Wunder and Les
Benjamins. Our creative projects include editorials, special edition
issues, collage artworks and illustrations, which showcases how strong
we are on the creative side. We also have commercial arrangements with
Dior, Louis Vuitton, adidas, North Face, Vans and many other global
brands. In our regular issues, there are sections from History to
Beauty. Our mission is to spread the culture and describe what that
means to the communities around us.
Lastly, I was requested to be a panelist for a Complex Networks and
Fashion Institute of Technology partnered a program called “Yellowbrick
Sneaker Essentials.” On October 20th I hosted a webinar about the
“International Woman In The Sneaker Industry” and shared my experiences
as a woman in this industry and gave advice to others who wish to create
a meaningful impact in the sneaker world.
I am beyond proud and honored to be so accomplished in such a short period of time. Also, I am thankful for the people who have supported me along the way.
“Ask Me Anything” with Foot Locker Engineer Brennan Nichols
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Foot Locker Engineers are not always easy to get a hold of. Operations Engineer is a job title in the sneaker industry that is rarely public facing. Their position works heavily behind the scenes to help keep the Foot Locker brand on point. Yellowbrick Ambassador and Sneaker School grad Brennan Nichols is the Site Operations Engineer at Foot Locker.
Foot Locker Inc. is the leading brand that celebrates sneaker and youth culture worldwide. Their portfolio includes Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Champs Sports, Eastbay and Footaction. They have about 3,000 retail locations in 28 countries across North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. Foot Locker recently invested $100M in the reseller platform GOAT, which could yield interesting Goat x Foot Locker collaborations in the near future.
Brennan decided to take some time out of his day to give the Yellowbrick community some much needed career talk and industry gems via a ZOOM Webinar. He talked about his current position at Foot Locker, as well as his Sneaker School experience, solid Resume Tips, Building your network, and how to nail your interview for the job you want in the sneaker industry. At the end of it all, he opened up the floor for an “Ask Me Anything” Q&A session. We jotted down some of the top questions and answers and compiled a list below. You can press play on the video in this article to hear the webinar in its entirety, including all the questions and answers.
How did you get started in the sneaker industry?
“I started back in college where I did an internship at this sneaker boutique called Self Conscience. It is no longer open but it was the starting point for many people who have careers in the industry. I started as an intern, doing events on the weekends. We did a really cool collaboration with adidas back in 2008. That gave me my first love of the sneakers, the industry and sneaker marketing events. That’s the best place to start, as an intern.”
Do network connections matter and did a network connection help you get your job at Footlocker?
“Connections always matter. That goes back into building your network. Building my network helped me. What helped me was going to events, volunteering. Volunteering didn’t get me the job at Foot Locker but it helped me beef up my resume. I got my job from a staffing agency who saw my resume on Linkedin. They contacted me for an interview and I started as a temporary worker. A lot of big companies start people off as contract employees so don’t get discouraged by getting an offer on a contract position. Sometimes you get paid more often and paid more per hour. Sometimes you don’t have benefits so it depends on your livelihood but if you have the ability to go through a staffing agency, I recommend it.”
Can the Sneaker Essentials certificate of completion lead to a job opportunity?
“It can lead to a job opportunity but graduating from the program won’t give you a job. The course gives you a lot to talk about in interviews. Taking the course and having the certificate can lead to a lot of conversations during an interview. I’ve been in a lot of interviews with a lot of companies and they ask about the course. Whatever you learned from the course, you can mention it in the interview and that helps you stand out from the other candidates.
If a sneaker career is something you’re interested in, visit yellowbrick.co/sneakers. You can reach out to Brennan on IG. His handle is @wallstreetbnic.
The 5 Things We Learned from Syn Martinez, Founder of AfroBrutality
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Sneaker School allows people to level up their sneaker knowledge to take next steps into a possible career in sneakers. Sneaker School student alum Syn Martinez put himself in the right place, at the right time and was ready to make his move. He recently teamed up with Global Footwear brand Puma to release a branded gear collection under his brand, AfroBrutality. The collection includes a signature Puma silhouette with AfroBrutality branding set to release in June 2021.
AfroBrutality is not just a fitness brand, it’s a movement. The belief behind the brand is that the power of exercise not only tones the body but uplifts and educates the mind. Martinez believes in self-expression and created the AfroBrutality brand and movement so that people can exercise and express themselves unapologetically, AfroBrutality aims to create a more diverse and inclusive space in the cross-functional training community, with workouts that incorporate Black History education (not just in February) and dope workout gear to match.
Earlier this month, the AfroBrutality collection debuted at the Puma Flagship store in New York City. The in-store presentation included 2 levels of activity with the collection and shoes on display. There were workout stations available for trial workouts and Syn created custom workouts for all to enjoy, during the event or at home. Participants were outfitted in AfroBrutality Tees and Masks for socially distanced safety. The upper level was Workout HQ. There were guided and group workouts happening which are all available for people to check out on the Puma app.
We recently sat down with Syn for a virtual webinar conversation. He talked about his sneaker journey so far, the process of going from Sneaker School to Puma collaborator and gave some tips into how people can follow in his footsteps to get into the sneaker game. We were able to catch five of his most solid gems and share them below. If you want to see the full webinar conversation, you can view it in its entirety here. If you want more information on how you can apply for Sneaker School, visit yellowbrick.co/SneakerSchool.
1 – “When I come with ideas, I see them all the way through.” – Syn spoke about how many times people have ideas but no follow through. He likes to see his ideas from concept to product and follow through all the time. It is important to have all the steps to an idea because sometimes that is the difference between a brand taking or leaving your idea on the table.
2 – “Logos? It’s all about the details.” – Syn spoke in detail about the importance of storytelling and details when designing a logo. He had to re-think his logo a couple of times before deciding on a final design. He wanted to make sure the image resonated with the story the brand was telling. “And you want to make sure it looks good on everything.”
3 – “The art of pitching w/o pitching.” – When asked about how he pitched his idea to Puma, Syn said, “ I didn’t. I’ve built an incredible presence that my brand was innovative and tried and true, to where they reached out to me. This is done by years of hard work. Sneaker Essentials helped me figure out verbiage, and how to turn an idea into a pair of sneakers, to build my ability to negotiate and know what I was talking about.
4 – “I put myself in a strategic place so I could win.” – Hard work definitely pays off and Syn spoke about how he worked hard and was always prepared in every way for his next move. When Puma approached him, he was ready to give them all that they needed for next steps.
5 – “Do you want to be around for a lifetime, a reason or a season?” – You have to be all-in if you want to succeed in the sneaker industry. While most people want to have a career in the sneaker industry, they need to decide on how bad they want it. If they want to be around for a long time, they need to always have content and always be ready to put in the work.
Brittney Perry Gives Us The Sneaker Essentials Scoop for #SoICould
Name: Brittney Perry
Course: Sneaker Essentials
Instagram: @perrycoshoes
Website: https://perrycoshoes.com/
Where are you working now?
Has your experience in Sneaker Essentials impacted your career at all yet, and if so, how?
It got me back in the groove of graphic design and some of the basics or brainstorming ideas such as mood-boards.
Why did you think the course was right for you when you enrolled?
I wanted to have a better understanding of the history of sneakers and how they are made.
How did the course prepare you for working in the sneaker industry?
Taking the course would allow me to speak more intelligently about sneakers. Knowing the history and technical terms would definitely help anyone stand out to a potential sneaker employer.
How did the partnership with Fashion Institute of Technology for Sneaker Essentials affect your choice to take the program?
Complex gave the sneaker program more credibility. Seeing that I could potentially have opportunities to be featured by Complex and work with others in that space was encouraging.
What is your biggest takeaway from this program?
Learning the ins and out of how a sneaker is made as well as the parts of the shoe was really beneficial. Even though I have a sneaker brand now, the program helped me gain a greater understanding of sneakers. This can help me communicate my ideas clearly to my manufacturer.
What would you say to a friend or fellow Sneakerhead about Sneaker Essentials?
If you want to have a career in the footwear industry, I would highly suggest enrolling in Sneaker Essentials. You will learn the ins and outs of the industry. Not only about sneakers, but also marketing, design, and videography in the sneaker field.
