A Conversation with Sean Williams, Global Footwear Awards Juror

We are delighted to feature Sean Williams, a distinguished member of the Global Footwear Awards. Renowned for his unparalleled expertise and passion for sneakers, Sean has spent over 39 years transforming the design landscape with his unique vision and storytelling prowess. As a mentor and advisor to designers worldwide, Sean has built a reputation for his authentic approach to sneaker culture, focusing on appreciation, education, and elevation.

In this interview, we delve into Williams’s journey, philosophies, the future he envisions for the design community, and his role as a jury member for the Global Footwear Awards.

Can you tell us about your background? How did your journey to become such a prominent figure in the design community begin, and where did it take you over the years?

I’m in a 39+ year love affair with sneakers. That love allows me to see sneakers as a unique story in every box. As a mentor, advisor and counselor of sorts to designers all over the world I’ve become a trusted source for those who seek accurate and authentic storytelling for their design work and/or promotion and marketing plans. To that end, sneakers have taken me to numerous countries around the world to share my expertise in the education space.

What would you say is your personal philosophy? How has this philosophy evolved throughout the years?

I live by these 3 words when it comes to sneakers and sneaker culture, “Appreciate, Educate, Elevate.” It’s my uncompromised way of live when it comes to my work in this industry

You co-created the first-ever sneaker talk show in 2007, what was the inspiration behind this? How did it change the conversation around sneakers within the industry and among the public?

The idea as originally conceived by OSD Co-founder Dee Wells was to give a voice to sneaker lovers around the world using a format that no one had tried yet. Podcasting was new to EVERYONE so it was the perfect vehicle for us. Our show FORCED all the other sneaker sites to grow up and create more mature subject matters around sneakers. It’s our blueprint and narrative that many of the sneaker media sites of today use when talking about the sneaker industry. We’re very rarely given credit for that, but the proof is well documented.

You work as an adviser for global sneaker brands, how do you stay ahead of trends?

My work with brands is very rarely about trends and more along the lines of helping brands tell AUTHENTIC stories about themselves and the products they make.

You’ve curated public art exhibitions that have reached over 10 million people, what do you think makes an art exhibition successful and memorable, particularly in the context of sneaker culture?

Our success in producing over a decade of sneaker exhibitions is tied to the curation and access. What good is telling a great story if it is limited by who has access to it? Our exhibitions achieve the numbers they have because we chose exhibition partners that allow access to massive numbers of people. Not just a select privileged few.

What challenges do you find most common among emerging designers when it comes to understanding the impact of their designs, and how do your Master Courses address these challenges?

Design programs are great, but who is going to teach the creatives that they need to be armed with business acumen? We’re the only ones in the world who teach the business and culture of sneakers. We’re the only ones that teach the lawyer, the scientist or the marketing professional that there’s a fun industry waiting for them RIGHT NOW without having to reinvent themselves. 13 years after we started SOLEcial Studies, and We’re STILL the only ones GLOBALLY that teach that aspect of the business.

Could you share a particularly memorable experience from your work that you still think about to this day?

I would have to say winning my Anthem Award (in early 2024) for my work teaching in Paris in 2023. It was already a memorable experience, but winning the award for teaching “sneakers” to a room full of students from at least 7 different countries in one classroom was great!

As a jury member for the Global Footwear Awards, what do you prioritise when evaluating designs? What advice would you give to aspiring designers?

My evaluation process as a jury member starts with how much of the inspiration the designer shares with us upfront. What problems are they aiming to solve and the design evaluation is going to be based on how well you did that. Making space aged fast and sharp looking things with no real purpose will never impress me.

What do you envision for the future, both for yourself and for the broader design community?

I want to see more people being skilled in using 3D design, AI design tools. Also focusing more on using the technology as tools in the process instead of the tech being the actual “Ghost Designer” of things. As for me, OSD, and the SOLEcial Studies CommUNITY Academy there will be more groundbreaking courses, and we’re going back further into our roots!