Here’s Why More People Should Be Talking About Salehe Bembury

He’s leaving footprints in the culture!

If you’re not into sneaker culture, the name Salehe Bembury may not mean anything to you, but as we look into the next generation of Black history makers, he’s definitely one that should be a household name. A New York native, Bembury holds a degree in industrial design from Syracuse University, Sneaker News reports. After college, he got his start as a footwear designer at Payless Shoe Source, parlaying that first gig into design jobs at Cole Haan, LunarGrand, and Greats. In 2015, he joined the adidas Yeezy team, catapulting him in the industry and cementing Bembury as a force to be reckoned with. 

At Yeezy, Bembury helped design footwear for Seasons 3 and 4, landing onto the radar of sneaker enthusiasts and setting himself apart as an innovative designer. In 2017, a random pitch to Versace’s design director via LinkedIn asking them if they’d ever thought about sneakers landed him a meeting in Milan. Donatella Versace hired him after that first meeting and Bembury went on to create Versace’s Chain Reaction shoes, spearheading the iconic fashion house’s footwear department. If his name hadn’t already rang bells, the Versace owner cemented Bembury’s rising star In an interview with Hypebeast magazine, calling him “the greatest sneaker designer in the world!”

In 2020, capitalizing on his massive success, Bembury launched his Spunge brand, focused on unique products and collaborations that drew inspiration from culture, nature, and his play of texture and colors. That same year, Footwear News named him its FN Designer of the Year, GQ reports. Over the years his collabs have continued to fuse culture and creativity, designing with other Black luminaries and brands like New Balance, and Crocs, where Bembury is responsible for the uber popular Pollex design based off of his fingerprint. The shoes tend to sell out in mere minutes and are a favorite among fashion aficionados.

His most recent work with Moncler is a reminder of Bembury’s versatility and ability to innovate designs that capture the essence of a shoe while remaining fashion forward enough for sneaker heads everywhere. In the future, we believe the history books will smile proudly on Bembury’s work, which is only just beginning. His legacy of trailblazing, holding space and breaking barriers is a true north for other young Black creatives to follow and we are ecstatic to see what he does next!

To keep up with Bembury, follow him on Instagram @SaleheBembury.

Here’s why more people should be talking about Salehe Bembury/Photos Courtesy of Eric Zeller/Footwear News/New Balance/Salehe Bembury/LinkedIn/Instagram