Nike and Adidas veterans reveal how to get your foot in the door in the sneaker industry

• Jobs in the sneaker industry are highly coveted, but it's possible to get a foot in the door.
• Experts said applicants should think about it like a basketball player trying to make it to the NBA.

When D'Wayne Edwards worked as the design director for Nike's Jordan brand, aspiring designers would send him job applications in hand-carved wooden boxes. Others sent him beautifully bound leather portfolios.

"If you put a lot of effort into the outside, the inside better live up to the outside," Edwards said.

What matters more to hiring managers are original thought, the ability to work as part of a team, authenticity, and transferable skills.

In 2010, shortly before he left Nike, Edwards founded what's become Pensole Lewis College. He's one of a handful of educators and recruiters who help people break into the sneaker business. More than 500 Pensole alums work in the industry, including at Nike and its Jordan brand.

While the industry is not easy to enter, Edwards and four other experts Insider spoke with said it's possible to break in with the right strategy.

"It's extremely competitive," said Bimma Williams, a veteran of Nike, Adidas, and Saucony. "You have to think about it the way athletes think about making it to the league."

Step 1: Learn about the industry

When Phil Knight founded Nike, there was no such thing as sneaker school. But in the decades since Knight sold the first sneakers out of the trunk of his lime-green Plymouth Valiant, several educational programs have launched.

Pensole Lewis College is one. In 2011, Sean Williams (no relation to Bimma) and Dee Wells of Obsessive Sneaker Disorder launched SOLEcial Studies, an educational program about the sneaker industry for high-school and college students. The curriculum focuses on business and culture, with modules about finance, manufacturing, pricing, and marketing. The cost varies, but it's typically around $1,000. (Fun fact: Williams credits Edwards with coining the name SOLEcial Studies; the two are longtime friends.)

Meanwhile, Cnstnt Dvlpmnt (pronounced "Constant Development") is a program geared toward educating kids earlier in their lives, in middle school. The curriculum, taught using an interactive sketchbook, starts with the basics of design, then expands to show the numerous careers connected to design, such as product development, marketing, and color design.

"It's all these different things that we want to put in front of kids so they understand they can do these things and not just buy the shoes," said its founder, Chris Dixon, a Pensole alum and former Pensole employee who now works as a designer for Timberland.

Some two- and four-year degrees — in traditional marketing, business, product design, industrial design, and graphic design — can also help people start a career in sneakers. The University of Oregon, Knight's alma mater, even offers a master's degree in sports product management.

For those tight on cash, make use of free resources including podcasts about the industry and YouTube tutorials. If you're an aspiring designer, Edwards recommended spending time on Behance and Coroflot, two online platforms that showcase the work of creatives.

"Spend time and see how they lay out their work, how they organize their work," he said. "Do your research on who you're competing with."

Step 2: Build your network and brand

The next step is building a professional network.

One way to meet people is through industry events such as Sneaker Week, an annual conference in Portland, Oregon, modeled after SXSW.

"We're trying to build that community space where we're connecting folks in the industry," said Herbert Beauclere, who cofounded Sneaker Week in 2017. "We're trying to identify talent. It's almost like creating a platform for people to come out to Portland and be discovered."

Beauclere said Portland remains one of the best places to start a sneaker career because it's the home of the industry giant Nike and the North American headquarters of Adidas. The city's also home to Columbia Sportswear, numerous small and midsized sportswear companies, and dozens of vendors, including marketing and design agencies.

"You might be able to get a contract gig for three months at Nike," he said. "If they're not hiring full time, that three months serves you well as you try to get a job at the other five or six brands that you're interested in."

If you can't make it to industry events, find ways to get your work out; the industry will find you, experts said.

Bimma Williams grew up in Louisiana. In hopes of getting into the sportswear business, he started a running blog with some friends, showcasing his talents for storytelling and branding. Sportswear brands started to reach out. He said that in retrospect, he realized the work he posted online was a "living, breathing résumé."

"At a young age, I had a very high taste level for how I wanted stories to look online," he said. "And it happened to be in line with how brands kind of started to think they would want to see themselves."

Williams went on to work for Saucony and then Adidas and Nike before launching the podcast "Claima Stories" in 2019 with BJ Frogozo. The podcast tells the stories of entrepreneurs of color, including many from the sportswear industry. A recent episode featured Jason Mayden, a celebrated designer.

Step 3: Be authentic when you apply and interview

When it's time to apply, read job descriptions carefully, and be authentic in your application. This begins with the basics, like getting a professional headshot, opening a LinkedIn account, and following the brands where you'd like to work, experts said.

Last year, Adidas was on a hiring spree, with open roles in digital, information technology, data and analytics, supply chain, human resources, finance, and marketing. Vicki Ng, who then worked in talent acquisition for Adidas, recommended taking the time to learn more about Adidas, including reviewing the company's business strategy and human-resources pages, before applying for any of the jobs. Ng has since changed companies.

Then cater your application to a specific job. Make sure to highlight transferable skills. Show some personality.

"My advice for people who want to stand out at Adidas is to be authentic in demonstrating who they are," said Ng, who has since changed companies, adding that could include "fun and creative" application materials such as TikTok videos or photo collages.

If you get an interview, ask for the names of the interviewers beforehand. Check them out with your network and on LinkedIn. Think through how you'd interact with each of them — for example, if you're interviewing for a design job, think through what questions a marketer might have about your work, Edwards said.

If appropriate, bring props along with your sketchbooks.

"We're all like 4- to 5-year-old kids," Edwards said. "If you bring something, there's a high probability that we're going to pick it up. Now the conversation is about what you brought to the meeting. You just changed the interview."

After a few interviews, turn your focus to selling yourself. At that point, your work has probably passed muster.

"You are a brand," Edwards said. "Treat yourself like the brands you respect and pay money for."