Salehe Bembury: The Golden Touch
Salehe Bembury is an American footwear designer who makes the job of being a sneaker designer one of the most exciting. Even if you have not heard of him, there's a good chance that your favorite designer has.
He was born and raised in New York, where his love for sneakers. Much like every teenager in New York, he would buy the latest sneakers and had a passion for them. Also, during this age when his interest in designing sneakers grew. With that same interest and passion for sneakers, he went to Syracuse University to study industrial design.
Bembury's first professional experience started after he graduated when he began working at Payless, a low-cost, budget footwear brand. After this, Salehe Bembury achieved more prominent and better things. He worked for famous brands like Fortune Footwear, Cole Haan, and Damon Dash. It was at Cole Haan where Bembury helped design the infamous LunarGrand.
After working for these brands for a couple of years, Salehe Bembury was ultimately introduced to Kanye West in 2015. This meeting was when he got his big break. He began to work in the YEEZY design team, where he helped develop the YEEZY Boost 350 v2 and YEEZY Boost 750 models. Bembury worked for YEEZY for a year before he decided to set his eyes on something more significant.
The artistic designer landed a job in Versace, where he worked in the prestigious Italian house of Donatella. He eventually became the head of footwear for this brand and helped design one of the most iconic sneakers by Versace, such as the Apple-inspired ones that Steve Jobs wore. Even Donatella Versace calls him 'the best sneaker designer in the world.'
By that time, Salehe Bembury had indeed conquered the sneaker world. But now, he was ready to cement his position at the top. This is why he began working on collaborations with other brands alongside his job at Versace. One brand he collaborated with was New Balance, where he released his design called 'Peace Be the Journey.' The autumnal design inspired Salehe's love for hiking in the LA Mountains. Bembury also collaborated with the Chinese sportswear brand, Anta, where he created unique and futuristic hiking shoes that were truly striking.
Amidst all this, he founded his creative brand, Spunge. By the end of 2020, Salehe Bembury left his job at Versace, and he was then named Footwear News' FN Designer of the Year for 2020. In 2021, Bembury collaborated again with New Balance and released his 'Water Be the Guide' sneakers that donned a bright blue color. The shoes soon sold out everywhere.
It is clear that through his hard work and determination to achieve bigger and better things, Salehe Bembury is undoubtedly one of the best sneaker and footwear designers in the world. If he keeps up with his creative streak, he will soon permanently cement his position at the top of sneaker design. He has truly earned this place at the top and will not let it go anytime soon.
