Once a footwear designer, always a footwear designer.
Only today my focus has shifted from the “elite” to the “essential” and the “emerging” with @theworldshoe (theworldshoe.com) and other shoe related projects.
I get to riff on all this with @lisavaughan_25 on the interview series @futureofxyz presented by @ifdesign and part of the @surroundpodcastnetwork .
The ‘Future of Shoes’ explores the intersection of feet, technology, robotics, health, sustainability, supply chains, creativity, innovation, and of course- footwear!
Tune into Season 8, Episode 5 today anywhere you get your favorite podcasts and on YouTube. And be sure to follow @futureofxyz and @ifdesign on Instagram, leave a 5-star review to help others find the series, and visit /XYZ for show links and more.
#design #podcast #ifdesignaward #futureof #innovation performance sports footwear shoes humanisticdesign footwearinnovation
Every @ifdesign Award entry is, among other things, evaluated for its sustainability. In fact a stable of experts are present to help guide the jury. At face value that means determining its eco-friendliness. On a broader level, does it use the power of design to do good? I call it humanistic design.
Whatever you call it we the jury intend to inspire, as always, a better future at the hands of designers.
#iFJury #iFDesignAward #iFdesignaward2026 #sustainabledesign #humanisticdesign
It’s a wrap. The 2026 @ifdesign Award Final Jury selection is complete.
Being a member of this year’s jury was both an honor and a rigorous assignment. Working with my jury team @ane jan and @Bianca made it a delightful one.
I can’t share anything on the winners yet but here are some numbers:
10,000 - total number of entries
93 - categories of products
129 - total number of jurors
21 - nations represented by the jury
Some personal numbers:
3 - number of product categories judged (Sports, Outdoor and Bicycles)
230 - number of total entries judged
3 - number of amazing design experts on my jury team
230- number of focused design discussions and product interactions
+ lots of smiles
#iFJury #iFJury2026 #iFDesignAward2026 #iFDesignAward #DesignAward
This week, we’re proud to feature Charles Johnson, Principal and Design Innovation Leader at Driven By Charles, as part of the FIT Sport Design Awards 2026 Jury. 🏆
With three decades of experience at the intersection of human performance, design, technology, and manufacturing, Charles has shaped products and strategies across sport, fashion, active lifestyle, and esports.
Through Driven By Charles, he helps brands define vision, build product ecosystems, and create new experiences, while also serving as Assistant Teaching Professor of Leadership and Innovation at Carnegie Mellon University.
Learn more about Charles and his work in the link in bio.
A new horizon has emerged on the continent.
Built with the African Design School in Benin, the African International Design Awards celebrates the creativity and forward-thinking design across the African continent. It recognizes designers based in Africa as well as the continent’s diaspora.
The call for entries is open!
#africaninternationaldesignawards
#aidaawards
#africandesign
#designaward
#africandesignschool
#africandesignweek
#humnanisticdesign
From the hype of Herzogenaurach 🇩🇪 to the heart of Akosombo 🇬🇭.
As a designer, I’ve spent 30 years at the intersection of craft and engineering—from being the first industrial designer at Adidas HQ to leading innovation at Puma.
I have designed shoes that sold millions. 👟 But now my design is focused on the millions of pairs that matter. As Creative Director for the World Shoe I am part of an effort to put shoes on the feet of millions who are shoeless.
The story gets better: The footwear I am designing is helping lead a new era of “Made in Africa” excellence. Our factory in Akosombo, Ghana (owned and operated by World Shoe Limited) produces antimicrobial, biodegradable footwear designed to protect health and provide dignity. And the jobs we have created amount to trade, not aid helping to propel prosperity.
And it gets even better still because we aren’t just making footwear; we’re proof that West African manufacturing can meet - and exceed - the highest global standards.
#MadeInGhana
#IndustrialDesign
#HumanisticDesign
#WorldShoe
#Akosombo
#GermanDesign
#AfricanInnovation
#Afrimaxx
#FootwearDesign
#TradeNotAid
#DW
#GlobalInnovation
#voltaregion
Eat great
AND
Donate
If you are local, book a table at Pittsburgh’s fine dining experience Senti on January 23rd. The price of your meal not only gets you a memorable menu but also a local healthcare worker will get a great pair of shoes so that they can do what they do with confidence and comfort. Why? Because Senti will donate them and you will too.
#SentiRestaurant
#TheWorldShoe
🏆🇬🇭💪🏽
It is one thing to be acknowledged by the President of The Republic of Ghana for export excellence. It is another to receive the “Innovative Product of Year” award.
This is a testament to what happens when you combine humanitarian heart with high-level industrial innovation.
Congratulations to the entire World Shoe Limited team.
#humanisticdesign
#WorldShoe #Innovation
#Ghana
#ImpactInvestment
#SustainableFashion
#EconomicGrowth
#TheManny
#TheRowe
#NoAShoe
#ManufacturingExcellence
