For Dr. D’Wayne Edwards, innovation has always been the driving force behind his work as a shoe designer. With more than 50 patents under his belt, as well as a college among the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, he is committed to uplifting the next generation of designers. Collaborating with brands like Nike, adidas, and quite a few household names, his love for creating keeps him going every day.
2024 has been quite the year for Edwards. In February, he reopened the doors to the first HBCU with a focus on design through the Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design (PLC), which he founded in 2021 in Detroit, MI. Now, he has officially partnered with Target to launch ÜNOS by Sz, an adjustable footwear line created uniquely for growing families.
“For a long time, it’s always been my goal to do something that was much more affordable for people who could afford everyday things,” Edwards told AFROTECH™ in an exclusive interview. “I just felt like everyday things, if they had the same intentionality put into them as some of those more elevated, expensive items, I think you could make something special, and so what we did with ÜNOS by Sz is we created this technology that allows the shoe to grow with your foot.”
“It actually came out of a business problem,” he continued. “The business problem was how can we as a store that traditionally sells apparel sell more shoes or sell shoes, primarily because footwear, it takes up a lot of inventory space in the back, because it comes in so many different sizes, and then it ends up taking up space on the floor as well. It came out of that solution of, how do you solve this space problem, and then start with all the iterations and trying to figure out how to make things grow.”
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With a goal in mind to reduce the number of sizes, Edwards and the team went to the drawing board to figure out how to use technology to create an innovative product that is not only stylish but easy on the pockets of families.
ÜNOS by Sz stands for “U Need One Size,” and it uses patented technology to enable both children and adult shoes to adapt to growing feet. The shoes have the ability to expand up to half a size for kids and a full size for adults, with more than 15 options for both age groups to select from.
Moreover, all of the shoes are priced under $50 to uphold Edwards’ commitment to creating affordable footwear for the everyday consumer.
“It’s just problem solving,” he said of how he hopes the innovation is seen in ÜNOS. He wants the shoes to reflect the type of thinking and skills he aims to foster in the next generation of designers through PLC.
“Part of what we try to do is help our students understand the power that they have. For instance, if you remove Black people from sports, sports is going to be different. If you remove Black people from entertainment, entertainment is different. If you remove Black people from fashion, fashion is different,” Edwards said. “So, our impact on culture and in society is much greater than we’re all given credit for.”
He continued, “The first thing we try to do is help our students understand their power. And once you understand your power, you start to build confidence. That confidence will start to lead to creativity, because it opens your minds to what’s possible. So what we want to do with people, with all of our students at PLC is give them that confidence to think creatively, beyond what they can see because everything we touch, we always revolutionize.”
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As someone who defines himself as a creative, he also understands the importance of starting with a clean slate for each project.
“I learned at the very beginning, but then halfway through it really stuck – I’m only as good as the last thing I touched, and I need to make sure whatever I touch, I’m giving 100% of who I am to that thing that I touch,” Edwards said. “I always try to start empty, where I start every project with removing all preconceived thoughts of what I think and have done, so I can just approach it with a clean, empty slate. So I can add to it versus sometimes when you start with something familiar, you’re already starting with your cup halfway full. Therefore, you really don’t put forth as much energy and effort because you’re already halfway there.”
He added, “Even if I’m familiar with a topic or familiar with something, I always empty that all out so I can start completely empty. So I can give 100% of my creative energy, as if I’m doing it for the very first time.”
Edwards’ latest footwear invention, ÜNOS by Sz, is available for purchase in Target stores nationwide.
