6 Legendary Sneaker Designers You Should Know About

The footwear world is a pretty crazy place in this day and age, with new releases churned out on a weekly basis and fresh silhouettes launching seemingly every month. While we’re absolutely not opposed to the madness of the scene in 2021, we also believe it’s important to take a minute to breathe and look back at some of the impressive history in this game.

For that very reason, we’ve delved deep into the internet to shine the light on six important sneaker designers that you should know about. Whether you’re a total newbie to the sneaker game or a seasoned veteran, why not have a read of our list as you may even find out something you never knew before!

The man, the myth, the legend - Tinker Hatfield is pretty much as good as it gets when it comes to sneaker designers. He’s highly-likely the man behind your favourite silhouettes and he was also the sole person responsible for keeping Michael Jordan signed with Nike (Hatfield presented MJ with the AJ3 after the basketball star had expressed concerns about his previous models). Along with bringing the Air Max technology to life for the first time ever in 1987, Tinker also designed the iconic Nike MAG for Back to the Future 2.

As he grew up Christian Tresser originally wanted to become a professional footballer, although he eventually settled to study design at the Academy of Arts in San Francisco. From then he went on to work for several design agencies and eventually Reebok, where he single-handedly created classic runners such as the Aztrek, the DMX Daytona and the 1992 Pyro. His success at Reebok led to him being headhunted by the Swoosh, where he later designed the Air Max 97 and the Air Zoom Spiridon as lead footwear designer.

Perhaps one of the most relevant sneaker designers even today, Steven Smith has tried his hand at design for pretty much every brand under the sun. He worked with Reebok back in the day to produce the legendary InstaPump Fury, enjoyed a stint at New Balance where he worked on projects such as the 1500 and has even tried his hand at Nike, designing the recently-revived Air Zoom Spiridon Caged 2. Of course we can’t mention Mr Smith without touching on his current role at adidas Yeezy, where he’s created models such as the Yeezy Boost 700 and the Foam RUNNR. Check out our interview with the man himself right here!

While he may not be the most household name on this list, we’re pretty sure that you’ve probably owned a sneaker designed by Sean McDowell at some point in your life. While on holiday in Florida the Nike designer was so inspired by watching the sunset on a beach that it led to him creating the now legendary Nike Air Max Plus (also known as the Nike TN). Since then he’s worked with the Swoosh on projects such as the Nike Lunar Racer and the OG VaporMax, while he now works as a freelance design consultant.

Early Nike employee Bruce Kilgore is the man behind one of the most popular sneakers on the planet, the Air Force 1. Before the AF1 he worked on sneakers intended for the tennis court, and even continued this after he created the legendary silhouette. Kilgore is a fine example of a humble genius, as sources state that he hand delivered original prototypes to college basketball players, and only discovered on a factory trip in 1987 (five years after original launch) that the AF1 was still in production!

Last but not least, it’s only right that we touch on Peter Moore, the creative force behind two of the most-hyped silhouettes in the game right now. After designing the Nike Dunk in 1984, Moore elevated the design further and morphed it into the Air Jordan 1, Michael Jordan’s first ever signature sneaker. Rumour has it he even sketched the wings logo onto a napkin during a flight for the first time ever! After his design work with Nike he went on to become Global Creative Director at the Swoosh, although he eventually sailed ship to adidas in 1987 and even briefly acted as CEO for adidas America!