Jelske Peterson and Jarah Stoop have been attached at the hip since the first day they met. Jelske from Holland and Jarah from New Zealand were both on paths that would merge, meeting while attending a shoe making course in Holland. After exploring separate paths for a period of time they came back together in 2016 to form Peterson + Stoop. Hand made in Holland, Peterson + Stoop deconstructs vintage sneakers and rebuilds them with natural materials into beautiful pieces of art. Jelske and Jarah continue to push the boundaries of fashion and innovation with a sustainable approach to inspire the next generation of women makers. Join me on this episode to witness their journey to form Peterson + Stoop.

Quintin Williams takes us on a journey from athlete to footwear designer and how he created his own path to success by starting Q4 Sports, an independent performance footwear brand currently worn by NBA players around the league. Coming from a small town in Georgia, Quintin Williams was raised on old school values. Hard-work and commitment were a couple that his mother and father not only instilled in him, but showed him by example. Quintin was a gifted athlete but also had an artistic side that was screaming for an outlet. Through hard-work, commitment, determination and good timing that outlet revealed itself into the form of sneakers.

Nicoline is an Educator, Founder, and Innovator amongst many things in the footwear industry and continues to lead the way for the future of footwear in so many ways. Growing up in Holland and spending most her life in Amsterdam, Nicoline Van Enter had dreams of being many things as all children do. Little did she know that those dreams would literally take her around the world due to these things we wear on our feet called shoes. Join me on Nicoline's incredible journey from trend expert to an ambassador of sustainability and everything in between.

Dwayne Edwards grew up in Inglewood California in the 1970’s at a time when black communities thrived and you could feel the love from neighbor to neighbor. With the crack epidemic wreaking havoc in the late 70’s and bad influences around the corner, Dwayne refused to be limited to the cards he was dealt. He believed there could be another path. Using his pencil to express himself artistically, Dwayne began a commitment to his craft.  Life is a journey not a destination and Dwayne’s story is a real time example of that. Join us on episode 006 to experience Dwayne’s journey through the peaks and valleys of the shoe business and what led him to start his very own school...the Pensole Academy.

Born in a small town in Finland Aki Choklat grew up with dreams of becoming the next fashion design icon. Aki’s journey into footwear was not easy and took hardwork, commitment and an endless pursuit to fulfill his passion. Now a seasoned designer and entrepreneur Aki has started and sold his own brands as well as collaborated and consulted for others around the world. Today, Aki is the Chair of the Fashion Accessories Design Department at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, MI. A school mostly recognized for its automotive design department, CCS has gone through a transformation and has really embraced footwear and fashion. Join me on this episode of the Kicks Factory podcast to experience Aki’s journey from a small town to the motor city.

Join us for episode 004 of The Kicks Factory podcast to learn about Jose Bautista’s journey to baseball's biggest stage and why such a successful, professional athlete would want to start their own footwear brand. Bautista began as an undersized baseball player growing up in the Dominican Republic, he was on nobody’s radar to become the next baseball star. With drive and determination as his fuel, with support from a loving family, Bautista was able to turn his dream into a reality by making it to "The Show."

Born in Cyprus, Greece to a military family Daniel Bailey has been exposed to many different cultures as he bounced around Europe to eventually finding himself in the center of the world...New York City. Join us as we take a deep dive into Daniel's journey from basketball prospect to independent footwear designer and entrepreneur.

Growing up on the south-side of Chicago with dreams of being Luscious Fox, with the support of a loving family to overcome his own mental and physical challenges Jason Mayden has had quite the journey to get to where he is today. In his words, he fell in love with the process and not the outcome. We invite you to experience Jason’s journey through his words on episode 2 of The Kicks Factory podcast.

On this episode of The Kicks Factory, we begin our very first season with Duane Lawrence, footwear designer of one of the most iconic shoes ever created; The D Wade 1 for Converse. Hear his amazing story on the Kudzukian App, Kudzukian.com, or your favorite podcast provider.