Salehe Bembury: the American designer who turned sports fashion upside down forever

Salehe Bembury’s name is very well known in the global fashion space. His portfolio includes collaborations with major sports brands such as Yeezy, New Balance, Crocs, Off-White and many others. His sneakers are characterized by brightness, comfort and philosophy. Inspired by natural phenomena and beauty, Bembury creates unusually creative models, and this draws the attention of all snickerheads and fashion lovers.

Together with the stylist we tell you about the talented designer’s path and his main collaborations.

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Sneakers and sneakers have become our daily routine, but in any routine there is room for a celebration, and that celebration in the world of sneakers is Salehe Bembury.

The designer’s journey from Yeezy to Versace

Salehe was born in New York City and attended Syracuse University from 2009 to 2011, majoring in industrial design. After graduating and before becoming popular among the streetwear community, Bembury worked as a designer for the brand Cole Haan. His manager knew Kanye West and, recognizing his employee’s potential, asked him for his portfolio and gave it to the rapper. Three months later, the brand organized an interview between Salehe and Kanye, after which the former was hired by the Yeezy team. There, he managed to design military-style boots and lace-up boots for the Season 3 and 4 collections.

Being able to work with a genius like Kanye on a daily basis was a great honor, it taught me a lot.

In 2017, it became known that in the staff of the fashion house Versace will have a special person who will deal exclusively with the design of sneakers. It became Salehe Bembery. Cooperation was offered to him by Donatella Versace herself.

Working at Versace, Salehe was not only responsible for the design of the entire line of men’s shoes, but also became the vice-president of the brand. Thanks to his efforts, Versace was once again talked about, and one of the symbols of the revival of the house were Chain Reaction sneakers, which have been on the feet of every second Western artist. In 2020, Salehe’s contract with the brand ended and he decided to become an independent designer, whose latest collaborations have been heard of by almost everyone.

Collaboration with Crocs

As part of Salehe’s collaboration with Crocs, embossed clogs with a texture reminiscent of ribs will be released in December 2021. The pattern is based on the fingerprint motif that the designer often uses in his work. The slippers themselves will be white with a translucent gray sole that goes over the toe. There is a velcro strap to further secure the shoe.

Collaboration with New Balance

In 2020, Bembury released its first independent collaboration with sports brand New Balance. To realize the creative idea, the designer chose the 2002R model. The upper is made of a combination of suede, coarse and fine mesh, and is complemented by a fluffy letter N in blue and a patch with Saleh Bembury’s name on top of the laces. While designing the sneakers, Saleh was inspired by hiking in the Antelope Canyon in Arizona, so the sneakers are given an orange and red color that echoes the tones of the land.

Recently in his Instagram, the designer shared photos of the second collaboration with New Balance. This time they chose the iconic 574 model. The new New Balance is endowed with Salehe’s distinctive design elements: an outsole that resembles a human spine, inserts for additional cushioning made of suede and mesh, the New Balance logo with reflective elements and the designer’s “tag” that is attached to the side.

Collaboration with Anta Sports

The new sneakers with Anta Sport brand, designer Salehe Bembery was inspired by a photo of a chick breaking out of its shell into the world. The design of the sneakers resembles branches intertwined by birds and provides excellent fixation of the shoe on the foot. The sole of the Nest model (the name was also chosen for a reason, nest means “nest” in English) is made of non-slip material, which makes the sneakers safer.

With this collaboration, Anta has set itself a socially important task: to inspire city dwellers to live an active life and play sports, as well as to remind them of the harmony between man and nature.

Salehe Bembury’s revolution in sports fashion

The sports shoes that Salehe creates are unique, and no other sports designer has created such creative models that are also practical and stylish. Giving life to his ideas, Salehe assures that when creating any item, one must have passion for the cause and curiosity for side projects and collaborations. In order for a sneaker to stay not only in the brand’s memory but also in the memory of a generation, you have to constantly think about it and realize what it’s made for.

The most common answer I’ve gotten this year is “I’m a great runner.” My goal is to turn this “running” into an ongoing culture.

Personal Stylist

Bembury is a revolutionary who has taken this indispensable shoe to the next level. He has come a long way from designing shoes at Payless, working on Kanye West’s world famous Yeezy to designing luxury Versace. Every pair of his sneakers is unique. He has made the world look at athletic footwear from a new perspective, the way the modern world looks at things – a forward-looking eye – a futuristic eye. His sneakers are the art in which people clothe themselves, asserting themselves as individuals. This is what modern fashion is built on, and it is realized on the streets of cities around the world in Salehe’s shoes.