TFS#148 - Steven Smith, Kanye West's Head Of Product @ DONDA, The Grandfather Of Dad Shoes

Steven Smith, the Grandfather of Dad Shoes, is a renowned sneaker designer with a career spanning over three decades. He began at New Balance, where he transformed the brand's focus on comfort into stylish silhouettes like the 574 and 997. He later worked at Adidas, Reebok, and FILA, creating iconic designs and pushing the boundaries of sneaker innovation. At Nike, he contributed to notable sneakers like the Shox Monster and Air Spiridon Cage 2. Smith then explored design and innovation in different industries before returning to Adidas to collaborate with Kanye West. This resulted in groundbreaking inventions like the Yeezy Boost 700 Wave Runner and the upcoming Yeezy 451. Smith's legacy lies in his ability to create timeless and influential designs that continue to shape the sneaker industry. He's celebrated as an OG and an innovator in the sneaker game. Connect With Steven Smith! instagram.com/stevensmith 0:00 - Introduction 4:00 - Steven Smith on Racing His VW 5:32 - Working Setup with Kanye West 7:33 - Steven Smith on Making Prototypes 10:15 - How Steven Makes Footwear From Scratch 11:32 - Steven Smith and Kanye West Constantly Creating New Ideas 13:05 - Steven Smith and Kanye West's Unique Ideas and Visions 14:44 - 3500 Designs with Kanye West 15:30 - Kanye West's Color Palette 18:26 - Steven Smith on Getting Inspiration from the Older Generation 20:20 - Kanye West's Core Band (Circle of People) 23:07 - Steven Smith on Working with Donda 25:37 - Steven Smith and Kanye West on Making Affordable Apparel 27:50 - Manufacturing Foam Runner and Yeezy Slide in the USA 28:35 - Supply and Demand of Foam Runners and Yeezy Slide 29:14 - Can Steven Own Something He Creates? 30:56 - Steven's Mindset on Yeezy Replicas 32:42 - Reebok Instapump Fury: Scariest Shoe That Steven Made 36:51 - Tech vs. Design vs. Comfort of Shoes 39:23 - Steven's Interest in Other Brands of Shoes 42:25 - How People Recognize His Designs 46:22 - How Does Yeezy Design Before Steven Smith? 48:11 - Carbon Plate on Running Shoes 50:43 - How Steven Considers Different Shapes of People's Feet 52:38 - Steven on Making Comfortable Shoes That Fit Everyone's Feet 56:06 - Steven's Thoughts on UGG Boots 59:12 - Steve's Versatility in Making Shoes 01:01:16 - Steven on Updating Shoe Innovation Depending on Comfort 01:04:59 - How Shoe Designers Are Affected by the Fashion Cycle 01:07:36 - How to Be a Good Footwear Designer 01:14:40 - Steven on Working with Military Apparel 01:15:40 - Creating Something Out of Different Materials 01:17:33 - Steven Smith on Handling Stress When Working with People 01:19:18 - Steven Smith on Working with Kanye West 01:21:29 - Is It Possible to Make Universal Shoes? 01:24:18 - What Steven Mainly Focuses on in His Life or Career 01:28:04 - What People Does'nt Know About Kanye West 01:28:49 - Creating Solid Solutions to Certain Things 01:31:15 - Steven Smith's Taste in Fashion 01:34:06 - Steven on Working with Clothing 01:34:37 - Shoes Combined with Electronics and Tech 01:36:33 - Getting Inspiration from Different Cultures 01:37:30 - Steven Smith Collecting Antique Items 01:39:23 - Kanye West's Temporary Workplaces 01:40:51 - What's Inside Steven's Backpack? 01:41:55 - What Type of Shoes Does Steven Wear? 01:43:59 - How Steven Comes Up with New Ideas for His Designs 01:45:34 - Steven's Thoughts on the Future of the Design Industry 01:46:49 - Connect with Steven Smith! 01:48:14 - Outro