Here’s your opportunity to learn from a legendary athletic footwear designer and a Michigan college focused on the design industry. These workshops are aimed at high school and college students, or anyone interested in design, particularly shoe design. 

4:30-5:30pm
Wilson Smith will lead his SPARK workshop. Using SPARK, which stands for Story, Passion, Art, Reflection, and Knowledge, Smith will help you uplift and ideate your creative idea, voice, and energy, all of which define sneaker culture.

The first Black designer for Nike, Smith has created shoes for Michael Jordan, Andre Agassi, Serena Williams, and many more. After a 41-year career with the company, Smith retired as the Manager of Design Education with Nike’s Blue-Ribbon Studio in 2025. His work has been recognized with a number of prestigious awards, including Nike’s inaugural Design Achievement Award in 2019. In 2024, Detroit’s Pensole Lewis College, the nation’s only design-focused HBCU, dedicated the Wilson W. Smith III Footwear Design Studio.