New Balance, adidas, Reebok, FILA, Nike, KEEN, YEEZY and now Crocs. Steven Smith has held many titles across the footwear industry throughout his 38 year career, with his knack for design leading to some of the sneaker world’s most beloved silhouettes, including Reebok’s Instapump Fury and the adidas YEEZY BOOST 700. With Crocs, it’s time for a new chapter for Smith as he looks to build new momentum after Ye fired him amidst the chaos of YEEZY earlier this year.
Appointed as the Head of Creative Innovation at Crocs, Smith will design in-house for both the Crocs brand and HEYDUDE, which it also owns. In the brand’s official announcement, it is noted that his creative vision will aid in the introduction of new silhouettes, as well as evolving both brands’ design languages. “I have a penchant for taking design to new places and I’m grateful for the opportunity to bring my knowledge and expertise to these storied brands,” Smith shares. “There is incredible potential to explore new forms and functionalities across the company’s iconic product portfolio and continue pushing boundaries through innovation.”
Only time will tell what this new shift led by Smith will look like, however, if it’s anything like his last three decades of work, you can expect plenty of coverage to come so stay tuned for more updates.