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Dad Shoe 101 is the “class” created by Dad Shoe Deals to teach you all about dad shoes. We strive to offer in-depth answers to questions like, “Who are the best dad shoe designers?”
Lesson Plans
- We’ll start by asking, “Who are the best dad shoe designers?” Then, we’ll reveal who was responsible for creating the most iconic dad shoes ever introduced.
- We’ll share insights into the creative processes that these dad shoe designers used.
- We’ll give each dad shoe designer their flowers. We’ll highlight their immense contributions to the dad shoe segment of the sneaker industry.
Who Designed the Best Dad Shoes?
Many people, myself included, call the Nike Air Monarch IV the “perfect dad shoe” or the “quintessential dad sneaker.”
But the Monarch IV was far from an overnight success. Look no further than its name for proof.
Even with many of the best dad shoe designers at its disposal, it still took Nike four tries to reach perfection. Creating what will likely go down as the granddaddy of all dad shoes was a process.
So, which designer finally cracked the code and put together the final plans for the timeless Monarch IV? And which designers did the same while creating other iconic dad sneakers, such as the New Balance 990 (the first dad shoe ever!), the Adidas Yeezy Boost 700, and the Balenciaga Triple S?
Let’s set out to search for answers to the question, “Who are the best dad shoe designers?”
Who Designed the Nike Air Monarch IV?
Jason Mayden launched his career as a design intern at Nike in 2001. He eventually worked his way up to serving as the sneaker brand’s Sr. Global Design Director about a decade later.
He then left the Swoosh for about a decade and assumed leadership roles at several other well-known brands. This included Logitech and Fear of God.
Additionally, Mayden jump-started a couple of his own companies (OK, now you’re just making the rest of us feel lazy, man!). He founded Super Heroic and Trillicon Valley before returning to where it all started. He became the Chief Design and Visioneering Officer at Jordan Brand, a subsidiary of Nike, in 2024.
As a result, you won’t find the Nike Air Monarch IV mentioned at all in Mayden’s in-depth LinkedIn profile. You also won’t see or hear any mention of the Monarch IV in many of Mayden’s interviews. It just goes to show how influential he has been across the board, both inside and outside the sneaker industry.
But make no mistake: Mayden is one of the best dad shoe designers — and much of his success can be traced back to his early work on the Nike Air Monarch series.
He kick-started his career by designing the Nike Air Monarch II, released in 2003. He also returned to working on the Monarch a few years later putting his stamp on the Nike Air Monarch IV before it dropped in 2009.
This forever earned him a spot in dad sneaker history, even though he later revealed he hadn’t initially realized the impact the Monarch IV would have.
“I didn’t think it would become part of pop culture,” Mayden told Nice Kicks in 2017. “But when I look back at it, it was inevitable. This shoe reminds you of your favorite person, so that’s what I think people are reacting to. When they see the shoe, it unlocks those memories of those men who they love in their lives, whether it be their uncles, coaches, grandfathers, or of course, their dads. It’s really cool to see it reflect in that way.”
Who Designed the New Balance 574?
Steven Smith is affectionately known as “The Godfather of Dad Shoes” (it even appears in his Instagram bio!). By the end of this crash course on “Who Are the Best Dad Shoe Designers?” you will understand why.
Smith has played a key role in designing some of the best dad shoes of all time. He’s also still making his presence felt in the industry. He currently serves as the Head of Creative Innovation at Crocs.
The New Balance 574 is one of the many historic dad shoes on his résumé. It was based on design work Smith did in his early 20s while working full-time for NB. It was central to his skyrocketing success within the sneaker world throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and beyond.
As many dad sneaker enthusiasts have noted, the New Balance 574 “has never been the flashiest sneaker.” It’s also “not known for mind-bending design or outrageous colorways.”
But it’s still widely considered “the most New Balance shoe ever.” This is all thanks to Smith’s stable and flexible 574 design. Smith borrowed elements from other classic New Balance dad shoes to bring the 574 together.
“The shoe is actually a hybrid of elements from two of my other models,” Smith told size? in 2018. “The bottom was from the [New Balance] 577…and the upper was a [New Balance] 576 upper repurposed.”
Who Designed the Adidas Yeezy Boost 700?
Steven Smith (see, it didn’t take long for us to bring him up again, did it?) was hired by Kanye West to serve as the Head of Donda Industrial Design in 2022. Smith also previously served as the Executive Designer for Ye’s brand.
He joined forces with the producer-turned-rapper-turned-fashion mogul to design several sneakers for his Adidas Yeezy line, starting in 2016.
One of these sneakers was the Adidas Yeezy Boost 700. It would ultimately become one of the most successful sneakers Ye ever released following its 2017 introduction.
More specifically, the Yeezy Boost 700 “Wave Runner” would become one of the top dad shoes of the 2010s. Some called it a key catalyst for the “unlikely rise of the dad sneaker” throughout the U.S. at the time.
Smith shared how the design for the Yeezy-branded dad shoe came together during a 2022 Hypebeast interview.
“It was the first shoe that I did with Kanye,” he said. “There were a lot of people who doubted it or didn’t understand it. It was not where the market was at. But at that point, you realize you are the market driver or changer. So when we were working on it, everything else was simple, maximized for profit, but we came out with something made from a million pieces, all stitched.”
Smith also revealed that he and Ye knocked out the Yeezy Boost 700 design in less than two days. “Through 48 hours over a weekend, out of it came the Wave Runner,” Smith said. “The creation process with him is magic.”
Who Designed the Balenciaga Triple S?
Demna Gvasalia, Creative Director at Balenciaga from 2015 through 2025, and David Tourniaire-Beauciel, a longtime French footwear designer, co-designed the Balenciaga Triple S. Much like the Yeezy Boost 700 “Wave Runner,” the Triple S is thought to be one of the most influential dad shoes of the 2010s. It was a driving force behind the late-2010s dad shoe craze.
“Triple S” is short for “triple-stacked.” Gvasalia and Tourniaire-Beauciel took dad shoes to the next level — literally — by combining soles from basketball, running, and track-and-field shoes. It resulted in the creation of the Triple S’s extra-extra-extra-chunky sole.
The multi-soled shoe didn’t get the best reception initially. Some publications reported that it was “confusing the entire internet.” This was partly because of its well-we-definitely-didn’t-see-this-coming! design and partly because of its $795 retail price tag.
Still, whatever controversy the Triple S may have caused at first didn’t stunt its growth. In fact, it only added fuel to its rapid rise.
It didn’t take long for publications like GQ to start singing its praises. Its staff suggested it was “worth splurging on” in late 2017.
A cult classic was born with the release of the Triple S. Some have argued that Balenciaga’s willingness to embrace the “ugly” dad-shoe trend was pivotal in its eventual success.
But, for the record, Gvasalia has disputed this. During a 2019 interview with the Washington Post, he contended that he never viewed the classic dad sneaker as “ugly.”
“I cannot feel the ownership or responsibility… for ugly sneakers or whatever they call it,” Gvasalia said. “I cannot feel that responsibility, because I truly do not consider Triple S as an ugly sneaker, and I don’t like ugly things. Like, I don’t know who came up with that. I actually love beautiful things, but I may try to see beauty in other things that are not conventionally considered beautiful today.”
Who Designed the Reebok Classic Leather?
Paul Brown joined Reebok in 1981, shortly after the death of one of the brand’s co-founders Jeff Foster. He would go on to design many of Reebok’s most popular sneakers ever. Examples include the Reebok Freestyle, the Reebok Club C, and the Reebok Pump.
Brown, at the urging of Brian Igoe, then a Product Manager for Reebok’s Running Division, also established himself as one of the earliest dad shoe designers. Igoe encouraged Brown to experiment with designing a leather running sneaker in the early 1980s.
Brown responded by creating what would become the Reebok Classic Leather. Reebok launched it in 1983 and introduced it with a memorable “You’ve Arrived” marketing campaign. It referred to the dad-shoe-to-be as “luxurious,” “rich,” and “soft” enough to make people feel like they were “walking on clouds.”
David Foster — the nephew of Jeff and the son of Jeff’s brother and fellow Reebok co-founder Joe Foster — runs an informative blog detailing much of the brand’s history. In 2022, he wrote a post called “It’s a Classic!” breaking down how Brown created a bunch of Reebok’s early hit sneakers during a 1983 trip to Korea.
Foster also took part in a 2013 interview to discuss the Reebok Classic Leather in celebration of its 30th anniversary. He expounded on just how important it was to the brand’s success in the 1980s — and beyond.
“The Classic Leather was the first truly international success for Reebok,” he said. “Reebok was traditionally a running company, and to our customers [and the] running stores, the Classic Leather was much more acceptable to them.”
Who Designed the Asics GEL-Kayano?
Toshikazu Kayano has been designing world-class sneakers at Asics in some capacity for decades. He first joined the Japanese sportswear brand’s team in 1987.
Yet, during a 2025 interview with 032c, the now-legendary designer admitted he didn’t initially set his sights on impacting the sneaker industry. Instead, he was more interested in working in Asics’ bicycle department than he was in designing sneakers.
Thankfully, executives at Asics steered him in a different direction. One told Kayano that he “should be proud to design shoes” — and the rest is history.
He first worked closely on basketball and wrestling shoes for Asics. Then, he played a part in a few important 1990s-era Asics sneakers. Most notably, he designed the Asics GEL-Saga, released in 1990, and the Asics GEL-Spotlyte, released in 1992.
But ultimately, it was the ASICS GEL-Kayano Trainer, released in 1993, that proved Kayano was right where he belonged, working as a sneaker designer.
Kayano drew inspiration from Japanese stag beetles and their hard exoskeletons while designing his trademark sneaker. Asics executives liked the design so much that they kept his name in the shoe’s name even though it was only supposed to be a working name and never looked back.
By 2000, the brand released six iterations of the Asics GEL-Kayano, including the popular Asics GEL-Kayano 5. The hits kept coming in the 2000s, with a new version dropping almost every year.
This trend has continued right up to today. The brand is currently preparing to unveil the Asics GEL-Kayano 33 in 2026, a follow-up to 2025’s Asics GEL-Kayano 32.
However, Kayano is no longer involved in the sneaker’s design process, despite it still bearing his name. Interestingly enough, he stopped designing the GEL-Kayano after the release of the 13th iteration in 2007. He allowed another designer Hidenori Yamashita to take the torch and run with it.
Yamashita designed the Asics GEL-Kayano 14, widely considered the best GEL-Kayano ever, in 2008. While speaking with 032c, Kanayo admitted this left him feeling “a little sad,” despite all his previous success. But there was no bad blood, and he remains affiliated with Asics.
Since then, other designers, such as Yoshiyasu Ando and Tomohiro Nishida, have also taken turns working on the GEL-Kayano. They have helped keep Kayano’s original vision intact while putting their own spin on its silhouette.
Who Designed the New Balance 9060?
James Lee, now the brand’s Lead Footwear Designer, joined New Balance as a full-time sneaker designer in 2014. He did so after interning at Reebok and New Balance and spending several years designing shoes for PF Flyers.
Lee teamed up with fellow NB designer Yue Wu to co-design the New Balance 9060 in 2019. Wu served as a sneaker design apprentice at New Balance for much of 2017 before becoming a full-time Sneaker Designer for NB that same year. He still holds this position today.
It took a few years for Lee and Wu to fine-tune the New Balance 9060’s design. But by the time it hit stores in 2022, it was unlike anything NB had ever put out. Yet it was also right in line with what we’ve all come to expect from the brand.
Casual dad shoe enthusiasts may not have been familiar with Lee and Yu prior to the release of the New Balance 9060. But the two were certainly no strangers to success in the sneaker industry up to that point. They had both played integral roles in New Balance 2002R releases and cut their teeth working on numerous collaborations featuring NB and other brands.
Still, the New Balance 9060 was an entirely different animal. The duo set out to create a sneaker that stayed true to the New Balance legacy while also putting a twist on previous NB models.
It was a tall order, given New Balance’s extensive history. But the pair delivered in a big way. They seamlessly blended the past, present, and future, making the 9060 feel unique.
“It’s always a challenge to balance old and new,” Wu said in a 2022 Sneaker Freaker interview. “I didn’t want to just take direct lines or shapes from the 990 series. So I studied each model, identified exactly what made it iconic, and tried to exaggerate those details. That’s why the logo is reflective, and the medial side features abstract embroidery. I like the idea of repurposing classic components in a way that you don’t often see.”
The Best Dad Shoe Designers We Haven’t Discussed Yet
From Jason Mayden, who designed the Nike Air Monarch IV, to James Lee and Yue Wu, the creators of the New Balance 9060, we’ve shown love to so many of the best dad shoe designers here. We hope you’ve gained a new appreciation for these dad sneaker designers and their innovative contributions.
We also hope you don’t leave this class thinking these are all the best dad shoe designers. So many other creative geniuses have also been instrumental in spearheading the dad sneaker movement, in both big and small ways.
Let’s finish strong by acknowledging several more of the best dad shoe designers.
Tinker Hatfield
Yes, we realize Tinker Hatfield is so much more than just a dad shoe designer.
He’s best known for designing some of the best non-dad shoes that Nike has ever released, including the Air Jordan 3, the Air Jordan 11, and the Nike Air Max 1. But he also designed the Nike Air Huarache in 1991, now considered a dad sneaker by some.
More recently, he designed the Nike CruzrOne, released in 2019. Nike called it the “first shoe designed for steady, easy-paced movement,” which sounds like, “Dads will love it!” to us.
Teddy Santis
Teddy Santis founded Aimé Leon Dore in 2014 and has served as the brand’s Creative Director since. He was also named the Creative Director of New Balance’s “Made in USA” footwear line in 2022.
Since then, he has offered fresh takes on many New Balance dad shoe staples, including the 990 Series, 992, 993, 996, 997, and 998.
Kiko Kostadinov
Kiko Kostadinov graduated from London’s Central Saint Martins in 2018 and immediately began working as a sought-after fashion designer. He later partnered with Asics in 2018 and was eventually appointed the Creative Director of ASICS SportStyle.
Since then, he has designed many popular sneaker collaborations with Asics and other brands. He has also introduced high-end models, including the Asics GEL-Burz 1 and 2, the Asics GEL-Quantum Levitrack, and the Asics UB1-S GEL-Kayano 14. He even launched his Asics Novalis line in 2023, which has included footwear like the Asics GEL-Teremoa.
Raf Simons
Raf Simons launched his own fashion label in the mid-1990s before going on to serve as the Creative Director for Christian Dior, Calvin Klein, and Prada. He has been Prada’s Co-Creative Director since 2020, alongside Miuccia Prada.
In between all of this other work, the Belgian fashion designer also linked up with Adidas in 2013 and spent most of the 2010s designing updated versions of the classic Adidas Ozweego. He was also responsible for other stylish shoes, such as the Adidas x Raf Simons RS Detroit Runner and the Adidas x Raf Simons Response Trail.
Salehe Bembury
Salehe Bembury designed shoes for Payless after graduating from Syracuse University. He then worked at Cole Haan, Yeezy, and Versace, where he served as the Vice President of Sneakers and Men’s Footwear from 2017 through 2020. He famously teamed with 2 Chainz to design the award-winning Versace Chain Reaction sneakers in 2018.
Bembury also teamed with popular dad shoe brands like New Balance to reimagine the New Balance 2002R, 992, and 574. Most recently, he started his own footwear brand Spunge, shortly after turning down the opportunity to work full-time at Nike.
The Best Dad Shoe Designers Deserve to Go Down in Sneaker History
Dad shoes are notoriously — hmmm, how should we put this? — basic.
This inevitably leads some people to believe that designing dad sneakers must be simple enough. But if that were the case, wouldn’t every sneaker brand have a super long list of popular dad shoes, just like New Balance, Nike, and Asics?
The truth is that the best dad shoe designers make the dad sneaker design process look easy. However, behind the scenes, it’s anything but.
It’s challenging to create sneakers that appeal to both dads who don’t necessarily care about the ins and outs of sneaker design and those who have a much deeper appreciation for what goes into designing successful dad shoes.
All of this makes us respect the best dad shoe designers that much more. Here’s to hoping they keep on innovating and have even more in store for us soon.
Ready for your next Dad Shoe 101 lesson? Head here to get answers to other dad sneaker questions, like “What Are the Best Dad Shoes of All Time?” and “Who Made Dad Shoes Popular?”
FAQs About the Best Dad Shoe Designers
Who Designed the First Dad Shoe?
The first dad shoe was the New Balance 990, released in 1982, and it was designed by an in-house team at New Balance. The company’s owner Jim Davis requested that the designers on this team strive to create the best running sneaker ever. They responded by producing the 990, the first dad sneaker and the first running shoe to ever sell for $100 in stores.
Who Is the Best Dad Shoe Designer of All Time?
The best dad shoe designer of all time is probably Steven Smith, who has more than earned his nickname, “The Godfather of Dad Shoes.” He has played an integral part in New Balance’s massive success with dad shoes over the years, designing classic dad sneakers like the New Balance 574 and the New Balance 997. He has also created amazing dad shoes for Reebok, Yeezy, Crocs, and more.
Who Is the Most Famous Dad Shoe Designer?
The most famous dad shoe designer is likely Kanye West, who collaborated with Steven Smith to create the Adidas Yeezy Boost 700 “Wave Runner” in 2017. This is one of the dad sneakers credited with helping to make dad shoes popular during the 2010s and into the 2020s.
Who Created the Most Iconic Dad Shoe Design Ever?
Jason Mayden created what many consider the most iconic dad shoe design ever. He designed the Nike Air Monarch IV in 2009, several years after playing a key role in the development of the Nike Air Monarch II.
How Can I Become a Dad Shoe Designer?
You can become a dad shoe designer by obtaining a design education, mastering sneaker design software, and gaining an in-depth understanding of everything from premium sneaker materials to the shoe manufacturing process. You should also prepare to spend time working as an intern and/or apprentice so that you can learn from some of the best dad shoe designers.