I design running and lifestyle shoes from first sketch to production sample. Over 9 years I have shipped 14 retail silhouettes and cut sample-to-production lead time on my last program from 22 weeks to 15.
My work sits between the last shape and the outsole geometry. On the Meridian trainer I trimmed 38 grams off the upper without changing the fit rating, and it stayed in the line for three seasons. I keep a shelf of every worn-through test pair, which my studio manager politely calls a hazard.
2021–NOW
Senior Footwear Designer
Portland, OR
GRANITE STRIDE ATHLETIC
- Led design on the Meridian trainer line, which sold 61,000 pairs across its first two seasons at a 42% sell-through.
- Rebuilt the outsole tooling spec with 3 factory partners, dropping mold revision cycles from 5 rounds to 2.
- Mentored 4 junior designers and set up a shared last-and-material library used across 3 product teams.
2018–2021
Footwear Designer
Los Angeles, CA
HALFPIPE SUPPLY CO.
- Designed 9 skate silhouettes; the Curb Cut model became the brand's top seller with 24,000 pairs in year one.
- Cut upper material waste 17% by reworking pattern nesting with the sample room.
- Ran the collab program with 2 outside artists, each drop selling out under 48 hours.
2016–2018
Associate Designer, Development
Boston, MA
NORTHBEND LABS
- Owned tech packs for 20+ samples per season and closed factory questions within a 2-day average.
- Prototyped a knit upper that later shipped in 2 production models.
Build Kit
Last Shaping
Outsole Design
Tech Packs
Rhino 3D
Illustrator
Gravity Sketch
Pattern Making
Colorway Dev
Sample Review
Factory Liaison
TPU + EVA Tooling
Knit Uppers
Schooling
BFA, Industrial Design
Cascade College of Art · 2016
Cert. Footwear Development
Pacific Design Workshop · 2017
Recognition
- Stride Design Award finalist, 2023
- Studio patent on a split-heel outsole, 2022
- Guest critic, Cascade footwear studio, 2021
DESIGN + DEVELOP + SAMPLE
DO NOT MACHINE WASH
REF · FREEMAN-249-JD