The footwear industry has no shortage of stars putting their unique twist on sneakers these days. We regularly see our favorite models reimagined in striking colorways and materials. But @salehebembury stands alone as an architect of silhouette, birthing new-to-world shoe designs that quite literally break the mold. Whether it was his clever 'Chain Reaction' for Versace or his organic reinvention of the Croc, Bembury builds from scratch, constantly challenging convention and creating uniquely memorable kicks. Which is not to say that he doesn't also explore the most spine-tingling color and texture choices, because that most definitely happens, too. All of which contributes to why I'm overjoyed to host Salehe on this week's episode of IDEA GENERATION. But that's actually not the part of his career I appreciate the most. What I'm the most enamoured of is the work he put in to create the opportunities to break that ground that he has. From earning a degree in Industrial Design to working a 9-to-5 in hard bottoms and khakis at Payless to a journeyman peripatetic through the footwear industry that landed him in the YEEZY boiler room, Salehe took zero shortcuts and earned every stripe. His is a story exemplar of humility and effort begetting success and opportunity, followed immediately with more humble effort. Oh yeah, and shooting your shot with ice cold outreach on LinkedIn. Beyond that I'm also excited we had the chance to capture a snapshot of Salehe in this moment of inflection as he crosses over from being a rising star within sneakers to a household name. I look forward to watching this episode again in 5 years and reflecting on everything he'll have achieved since. So whether you're a sneaker enthusiast or simply interested in building a career in design or even creating your own brand, I highly recommend you be like a sponge—er, Spunge—and soak up the game in this episode.