Culture is a word that gets thrown around a lot nowadays, companies are trying to identify it, people are trying to curate it, and kids are usually at the center of it. To be a part of a place like the Adidas Brooklyn Creator Farm, you not only need to have a deep understanding of the current culture/zeitgeist but be able to project where it is going to be years down the road.
Dale Shepard has been a footwear designer at the Adidas Brooklyn Creator Farm for the past two years. He works on the advanced concepts team meaning they are focusing on projects for athletes or sports a few years in the future.
Dale grew up in Connecticut as a basketball player with an affinity for sneakers, a natural fit. He took a different path than most to break into the design space but as is the concepts he’s working on, the future is bright for his career.
Q: How did you break into the design world?
— I grew up playing basketball and had a passion for footwear and design but wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with it. After realizing around high school I wasn’t going to make a career from hoops, I went to college to try and figure it out like most everyone else. During a psych class at West Conn I made my first sneaker doodle/design. From there I started doing research into product design and industrial design to learn how I can make a career out of my passion for design and drawing. In 2014 I attended the Pensole footwear Design Academy, which helped my skill set grow that much more and help me develop friendships and connections that I still hold to this day.
Q: You hopped around college a bit, talk about that?
— Yeah, I transferred from West Conn after two years and took a few classes at Housatonic Community College while I was applying so art and design schools. I ended up going to Mass Art for about a year, and wasn’t a fan of the school, I had to take a ton of gen-ed classes before I could jump into the art and design classes. I wasn’t a huge fan of the classes or what I was being taught and it felt super slow to me. A big part of the reason I left was that I got super sick and was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. I ended up moving home because things got really bad for me in terms of my health, I had to get 3 major surgeries on my stomach. This took a huge toll on me mentally and physically, all the while I’m trying to graduate from college.
Q: Your first official experience with one of the big brands was with Nike?
— Yeah, I started working retail while I was up in Boston and continued to work when I moved back home in Westport. When I moved home I transferred to the University of Bridgeport and that’s where I graduated from. During this time I was working on building out my design portfolio so that when I graduated I could get a job in that world. Like in most industries, a lot of the opportunities are based on timing and who you know. I was building as many connections as I could while working at Nike so I could further my career path within the Nike world. That was always my dream job to be a footwear designer for Nike.
Q: Speaking of timing, you had some bad and some good timing early on?
— It’s funny how it all works out, the Nike store I was working at in Westport was planning on closing in the coming months so I was racing to get as many interviews and phone calls as I could. I was talking with people at New Balance, Nike as well as my current boss Marc Dolce. I had been going back and forth with Marc about my experience and portfolio and got an interview but didn’t end up getting the job.
Not getting the job was super disappointing but I still had a few options and time before the Nike store closed. This is the crazy part about timing, I can’t make this up. On my last day at Nike, as I was driving home stuck in traffic on the Merritt, Marc called me and offered me a job at the farm. I was absolutely shocked and super excited, I started a couple days later.
Q: Let’s jump into the farm, what’s it like to work at a place like that?
— It’s a very elite group of super talented people from all over the world with different backgrounds and skillsets. It’s truly Disney Land for designers, you’re able to just be free in your curiosity and you’re able to collaborate across multiple teams. The people in and out of the farm on a daily basis are insane, from James Harden to Kanye to Pharrell. I learn something new everyday, whether thats a mistake or even something small like a shortcut on photoshop. Everyone is willing to help each out because everyone knows at the end of the day we’re one big team competing with the biggest brands in the world. It’s an absolute dream come true for me to work here.
Q: Tell me about the work and team you’re on
— Within the past year or so, the farm has become a big part of advanced concepts. That means we do accelerated innovation for the brand. We’re working on projects that are anywhere from 2–4 years out. I’m currently working on projects for 2023, essentially we’re an innovation platform for the brand. The work we do as a collective is about validating a function of a technology. This way we can make athletes better versions of themselves through product. It’s about thinking outside the box and be able to impact the industry through innovation.
Q: Can it be frustrating to work on projects so far into the future?
— Frustration can be looked at a few different ways. Day to day it can be tough because an idea could be proposed but lost in the shuffle or translation during the handoff to another team. It could also just be that certain days you’re not feeling your own creative process or you may be receiving pushback from certain people on aspects of the project.
Q: How cool is it to be a part of a company that truly creates and affects culture?
— For me, we’re constantly speaking and creating with people externally that we wouldn’t create with on a regular day. That’s part of the reason the farm is in Brooklyn because it’s such a Mecca for footwear. Because we have people with such vast backgrounds and experience we have the ability to create impactful products that are so special to people. When you can create a product that you connect to on an emotional level, people really value that.
Q: What are some of the favorite projects you’ve worked on?
— I’ve had the opportunity to work on future projects for James Harden and Donovan Mitchell as well as a contribution to other advanced concepts projects.
Q: Why is the farm such a secret?
— Within the industry its definitely a mysterious design hub. The nature of the work we are doing is definitely top secret which is part of the reason there isn’t a lot of press or information out there about it.
Q: What is the daily attire like at the farm?
— Everyone definitely has their own style and vibe for sure. Whatever you wear to work, that’s branding yourself and how you want to be seen. If someone comes in with a new pair of shoes it’s definitely a funny ordeal to check them out with the entire office.
Q: If you could work with any designer, who would it be?
— Funny story, when I first worked at Nike in Boston I used to work in the running section of the store. There used to be a TV with a video of Mark Miner sketching shoes and he was working on the Nike Free Run. Mark was one of the 3 guys who left Nike to start the farm. I think it was around 2012 and I would watch the video every day, that was the moment I knew I wanted to be a footwear designer. And 6 years later I’ve had the chance to work with him, he was my design idol.
Q: If you could work with any athlete, who would it be?
— I would like to work on some more projects with Donovan Mitchell. For a non-adidas athlete, I would love to work with Lebron for obvious reasons. I’ve always admired him as a basketball player, a leader and as a father.
Q: Which athletes have the best swag?
— I think it has to be the NBA. I think basketball players can get a bit crazy but they’re confident with there choices which is half the battle.
Q: What would your recommendation be for people that want to break into the design world?
— Definitely use Instagram to promote and build your design portfolio. That is the gift of social media, you never know who is looking even if they don’t follow you. People in the industry see things whether you know it or not. Not every idea is going to be a winner and not every sketch will hit the shelf but I think the most important part is consistency.
