Partnering to help discover future elite footwear designers.

The three weeks leading up to this year’s FN PLATFORM were a blur of color and creativity.  Each day, hundreds of aspiring footwear designers from all over the world posted their best design sketches to Instagram in hope of winning the #21daysofdesign challenge, and an opportunity to break into the footwear industry.

This year’s winner, Isamu Jarman (@isamujarman on Instagram) will receive a Two Ten Footwear Foundation scholarship to attend Pensole Design Academy, a cash prize of $500, and will have his winning design produced and sold at market. The proceeds from the sales will be donated to Two Ten, to help footwear families in need in 2019.

“I just want to constantly improve as a designer,” said Isamu, who will take part in a three-week Pensole design class this summer in Portland, OR. “I can’t wait to see what I learn from this experience.”

After graduating from the University of Oregon in 2013 with a BFA in Product Design, Isamu was ready to land a design job in the footwear industry.  Five years later, he’s finally getting his big break. “It hasn’t been the career path I expected, but I’ve learned a lot along the way, and I’m a better designer because of it,” said Isamu, whose been working as a cobbler at Derek’s Shoe Repair in Portland since 2016.

Over the next six months, Isamu will work closely with Vibram and Pensole founder, D’Wayne Edwards, to turn his sketch into a reality.  210 pairs will be produced and will go on sale in August at FN PLATFORM in Las Vegas.

This year the Two Ten Scholarship Program is making a concerted effort to further the education of those who want to make a career in the footwear industry.  This competition is exposing the future elite designers of our industry and giving Two Ten the opportunity to support them.

To see the #21daysofdesign submission finalists, follow @two_ten and @Pensole_Academy on Instagram.