KIA members are invited to join legendary Nike designer Wilson W. Smith III for an intimate discussion of all things shoe design and a private viewing of Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks! This event has limited availability; pre-registration is required. Limit 2 attendees per registration. 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. Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks is co-organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Bata Shoe Museum, and curated by Elizabeth Semmelhack, Director and Senior Curator of the Bata Shoe Museum.
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