#HTE

“Lace Up” for the First Sneaker Design Reality Show

Tomorrow, September 13th, 2017: Pop your popcorn and prepare for Pensole founder D'Wayne Edwards and America’s Next Top Model producer Ken Mok’s ultimate sneaker design showdown, Lace Up. Get ready to yell critiques at your TV and try to out-sketch 12 sneaker designers from around the world as they compete to win bragging rights and a real design job at adidas. 

Here is the only footage available so far:

Basically, the designers involved will be broken down into teams and tasked with challenges ranging from actual manufacturing to bringing their designs to market. 

The stakes are high, and I’m not convinced the special guests should have much or any say at all in selecting the winner. The guest list does include some notable names, like tennis star and sneaker innovator Stan Smith, but also included are mediocre musicians Fetty Wap and Macklemore. Hopefully these choices were made because rapper and well-known sneaker enthusiast Wale was not available. 

The pop culture element is a little much, but hopefully it won’t dilute the talent the competitors bring to the table. I’m excited to see sneaker design hit the big screen and may even consider a YouTube Red subscription to watch the drama go down, because as of now that’s the only way you can.