Dreams have strange ways of facing reality. Still, when the determination to make a change overcomes the obvious, the wheel of fortune takes a new twist.

D’Wayne Edwards draw his way out of his neighborhood and became a legendary figure in the footwear business. The young man who started working with the mythic brand LA Gear, who naturally ended up at Nike, and who later redesigned the Air Jordan 2, continues to draw his way, now with Pensole, the first footwear design Academy.

Cult Edge had the privilege of talking with D’Wayne Edwards. Read below.

What were the main reasons behind the establishment of Pensole?

The main reason why I started Pensole was to provide students around the world an opportunity I did not have growing up. As a teenager my dream was to go to school to become a footwear designer, but no such schools existed, so I gave up on that dream. And that is what I don’t want to happen for kids today. Our kids need to dream and they need to dream BIG. Because imagine if Steve Jobs (Apple) or Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) gave up on their dreams? If they had we would live in a different world now. If we can encourage our kids to dream they will redefine how we live in the future. Pensole helps kids around the world—who want to be footwear designers—to live out their dreams.

Does Pensole currently have any kind of wider program that secures the hire of your recent grads by footwear companies?

Yes. In less than two years, 30 of my former students are now working for the industry’s top companies: Nike, JORDAN, adidas, Cole Haan, New Balance, Reebok, Under Armour, etc. This is VERY important to me because our industry does not need MORE designers. Our industry needs BETTER designers, and Pensole was created to make better designers. My mission for Pensole is to identify, develop and place the future of the footwear industry.

What are your thoughts and feelings about the current boom of streetwear and sneaker culture?

I really don’t see it as a boom. I started back in 1989, which was the birth of streetwear with brands like Cross Colours and Karl Kani. Those two brands were the originators of what we know today as streetwear, and sneaker culture was not too far behind it. I guess what has happened over the years is that it has become more mainstream, which is both good and bad.

The good is that more people get to experience it, and it has grown to be a more respected industry, and the consumers have been acknowledged and appreciated. The bad is the same. More people are experiencing it but its culture and consumers are starting to be exploited, which is not good for its growth. But having been around since the beginning, I think it is good to see the growth. I also think that in order for it to come back to its roots, the consumers that understand and respect the culture need to step-up and create the future they want it to be. I know Pensole will do its part!

Did you ever think about creating a brand of your own?

Yes. It is called Pensole. In the future I can see Pensole product “designed by students” in stores worldwide. It is not about me. I had my time to shine in this industry and I want to make sure the next generation (Pensole students) gets to experience the successes I have had in this industry as a designer.

Are you a part of the American dream? Do you feel that you have truly accomplished that?

I never really thought about it that way…. I guess I am, but I would call it the “African American” dream because I grew up poor, in a dangerous neighborhood surrounded by gangs and drugs, with no money to attend design school. Statistically I am not supposed to be alive, let alone sitting here doing an interview with you. My story is more about what is possible, and I guess that is the American dream. But I don’t feel like I’ve accomplished much, honestly. I want to leave this earth a better place than when I entered it, and I will always be on that quest. I am not sure if I will ever feel like I accomplished that until I can’t do any more.

Know more about Pensole academy on their official website.