D'Wayne Edwards

Dr. D’Wayne Edwards is the most prominent Black designer in the footwear industry. He has amassed over 50 patents and created a portfolio of over 500 designs that have adorned the feet of celebrities and athletes alike, appearing in the MLB, NFL, NBA, and six different Olympics. Over his 32+ year career, including experience working at L.A. Gear, Nike and Jordan, Dr. Edwards is credited with paving the way for young Black design talent to have a career in the sneaker industry.

In 2010, Edwards founded PENSOLE, the first academy in the U.S. dedicated to footwear design, to provide talented young design students, regardless of socioeconomic background, an opportunity to learn from the industry’s best. PENSOLE quickly became the preeminent footwear design school in the world, specializing in footwear, functional apparel and accessories, color & materials, prototyping, and concept making. It operated as a popular feeder school for some of the industry’s top footwear brands and retailers and has placed more than 500+ former PENSOLE alums in positions working professionally for some of today’s top brands: Nike, Under Armour, Adidas, New Balance, Brooks, Vans, Puma, Timberland, JORDAN, and others globally.

As an educator, Dr. Edwards has taught and lectured at some of the premier schools in the world, including ArtCenter, Parsons School of Design, MIT, and Harvard, and has spoken at the Clinton Global Conference. He acquired Detroit HBCU Lewis College of Business and merged it with Pensole to create Pensole Lewis College. In December 2021, Pensole Lewis College was reinstated as Michigan's only HBCU and is now known as PLC Detroit.