Zack Schlemmer 
Usually when we talk about brands “teaming up” it’s just for another sneaker collaboration. This time a more serious joining of the forces between brands is getting together for a bigger cause. Foot Locker and Asics have gotten together with the PENSOLE Footwear Design Academy in Portland, OR to offer up a very special “Fueling the Future of Footwear” course this summer.
Foot Locker’s first “Fueling the Future of Footwear” course is set to take place from July 13 through July 31. The curriculum for the three-week, class-based competition is built upon Foot Locker’s commitment to delivering the freshest, athletic-inspired footwear and PENSOLE’s “learn by doing” footwear design process. The brands will work together to select 18 students to comprise six teams with skill sets across design, engineering/materials and business to create a new collection for ASICS Tiger™.
The competition winners will be chosen by a mix of Foot Locker, ASICS and industry executives, alongside the professor of the course, and PENSOLE founder, D’Wayne Edwards – acting as master curators and giving the emblematic Foot Locker ”Approved” seal to the winning design. The chosen design will be sold at select Foot Locker locations and the winning team will receive a $12,000 scholarship.
(Via Pres Release)
For those interested in applying to the program, visit footlocker.com/pensole for full details.
