Kanye West has enlisted famed sneaker designer Steven Smith to take over as the head of Donda industrial design.
On Wednesday, Ye made the announcement that his longtime collaborator would be officially joining his growing empire. Since at least 1986, Smith has been the go-to creator for major sneaker corporations such as Nike, FILA, New Balance, and in recent years, the Adidas YEEZY brand. He is widely known as the “Godfather of Dad Shoes,” having designed comfort shoe classics New Balance 1500 and Reebok Instapump Fury.
His new position will put his imagination to the test, constructing not only footwear but vehicles, furniture, and more for the rap mogul. Ye is already putting Smith to work, tasking him with bringing to life the Donda Foam Vehicle concept. Though neither has disclosed exactly what the structure is and what it will be used for, it appears to be an all-black army tank-SUV style automotive.
It remains to be seen how Smith’s new role will interfere with West’s and Adidas’s strained relationship. Though the sports brand and the “Jesus Walks” star have gained massive success with YEEZY, the 45-year-old recently called them out for selling several shoes that strongly resemble offerings within his collection. Since Donda is Ye’s separate business entity, appointing Smith to head the design department could be indicative that West is ready to make his sneaker line fully independent.
Nevertheless, Smith is excited to work with West in this new space, referring to him as “the single most inspiring creative I have ever worked with.”
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