Salehe Bembury

American footwear and industrial designer based in Los Angeles. He leads his independent practice, Spunge, and is known for nature-inspired footwear and collaborations with brands including Crocs, New Balance, Versace, Moncler, Vans, Anta and Clarks; he previously led men’s footwear at Yeezy and men’s sneakers at Versace.

Salehe Bembury Builds Sneaker Stories Through Form, Function, and Place

Sneaker designer Salehe Bembury argues that footwear gains meaning when its form, function, materials and visual world tell the same story. In conversation with TED’s Cloe Shasha Brooks, he explains how projects for New Balance, Crocs, Versace and others use place-based references, practical details and recognizable design language to build affiliation without relying on logos. His approach, he says, is to change familiar products at the level of construction while preserving enough of their identity to bring existing customers with him.

TEDAug 28, 20266 min read