Giant Steps
How a simple sketch led Xavier Jones to shoe design’s inner circle
As a kid, Xavier Jones (BS14) wore LeBrons.
Today, he’s designing shoes for LeBron’s kids.
“LeBrons,” of course, is the moniker “sneakerheads” use for the LeBron James basketball shoe line, which Nike introduced in 2003. James, a power forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and a bona-fide sports superstar.
Meanwhile, Xavier has been building his own measure of stardom as a sought-after designer in the uber-competitive athletic footwear industry. Since earning his degree in Apparel, Textiles and Merchandising (ATM) from EMU in 2014, he’s worked for Adidas, Wilson Sporting Goods, New Balance, and Reebok.
Now a footwear designer with Nike Basketball, Xavier creates colorways for the LeBron James Signature Line. This includes shoes for James’ three basketball-playing sons. The eldest, Bronny, is among the nation’s top high school players.
“My childhood dreams have come to life,” says Xavier, 31, who recently met with LeBron, Bronny and the family’s marketing representatives to discuss Nike projects. “It’s surreal. I first got a pair of LeBrons when I was in the 6th grade. 20 years later, I’m actually working on shoes for his kids.”
“Xavier showed that you don’t just make a product for the sake of making it. Rather, you make it for a reason.”
—Cathryn Amidei [Fiber Artist]
Summer camp inspiration
Xavier’s journey toward shoe design’s inner circle began at age 10 while attending summer camp.
“I participated in an art project through the Urban League of Flint,” says Xavier, who lives in Portland, Oregon near Nike’s headquarters. “We were asked to draw a sneaker. I showed the drawing to my mom and said, ‘They should make this shoe.’ She replied, ‘Who is they? Maybe you should be the one to make that shoe.’”
Xavier gained further inspiration from an issue of “Sole Collector” magazine and an episode of the ESPN program “It’s the Shoes.” Both documented footwear production methods from start to finish. In 2010, he entered Nike’s Future Sole Project, a national competition seeking footwear designs from aspiring youth. Xavier’s entry placed 6th.
“From that moment, I knew I wanted to design shoes professionally,” Xavier says. “I also had my mom’s support. She’s always given me the confidence to wholeheartedly chase my dreams.”
Xavier’s first step toward fulfilling his career aspirations was enrolling at Eastern, where he focused on apparel design within the ATM curriculum.
“[Associate Professor of Textiles] Cathryn Amidei was a big influence,” Xavier says. “She showed me many processes, from weaving and textile production, to garment making, cutting, sewing and pattern making. She spent many late hours in the design studio helping me develop my portfolio.”
Today, Amidei (MFA05) is a contemporary fiber artist based in Ann Arbor.
“Xavier was exceptional in the way he pursued assignments,” Amidei says. “He didn’t just try to fulfill the basics and wait for judgement. He made his own connections to an assignment and explored different ideas and approaches. Xavier could see the reason and rationale behind design. It’s a wonderful thing to see that in a student, and his classmates saw that in him as well. Xavier’s presence helped create a true learning community within the classroom.”
Amidei recalls Xavier’s final design project for a weaving class she taught.
“He created a canvas bag that could be worn as a backpack,” she says. “Xavier was completely engaged in the design process, which included the purpose behind the product. He contextualized it and created layers of understanding behind it. Everyone in the class gained from his presentation. Xavier showed that you don’t just make a product for the sake of making it. Rather, you make it for a reason.”
Xavier’s aspirations of becoming a professional footwear designer began with a simple sketch. With inspiration and support from his mother, he gained the confidence to chase his dreams.
Others also recognized Xavier’s budding talents. Keith Jason, then EMU’s coordinator of Student Services for the College of Technology, says Xavier’s student portfolio blew him away.
“We met several times when Xavier sought academic counseling,” says Jason, who is now coordinator of New Student Initiatives for the University of Michigan’s Comprehensive Studies program. “We talked about his goals for EMU and beyond. Xavier said he wanted to design shoes for Nike.
“Some students share their dreams with a certain passion that makes you lean in and listen even more closely. That was Xavier. Belief can be contagious, and he had a strong belief in himself. I could see he had a willingness to do whatever it took to reach his goal. It was easy to come away from a conversation with Xavier and share the same vision he had for himself.”
Xavier chuckles at the memory of his first meeting with Jason.
“He looked at my portfolio and said, ‘Are all the students in your department doing work like this?’” Xavier says. “At that time, I thought working for Nike was just a cool idea. But that meeting encouraged me to take my idea further.”
The Nike Sport Research Lab at the LeBron James Innovation Center houses this library of lasts containing the shoe forms of some of Nike’s elite male and female athletes. (Photo by Nike)
Forging his own path forward
Xavier took it upon himself to find projects outside the classroom that would stretch his abilities. As a student, he met with equipment managers at Eastern and began designing licensed Eagles sports apparel.
“I started out designing hoodies and T-shirts,” Xavier says. “Then I did graphics for the basketball team and helmet graphics for the football team. I also worked with the coaches to develop apparel to match the teams’ slogans for the season.”
In addition, Xavier designed T-shirts, tank tops and a logo for Bob’s Classic Kicks, a Detroit-based sneaker boutique.
After graduating, Xavier attended an intensive design program with Adidas. Then he became a creative services intern and equipment manager for the NBA’s Sacramento Kings before joining the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons as a creative services assistant. He also did freelance work for Wilson Sporting Goods and became a footwear design intern with New Balance’s Performance Running division.
Among Jones’ future goals are becoming involved in youth mentorship projects and encouraging the younger generation to pursue their career ambitions.
“At New Balance, I did graphic work for track spikes—specifically for Olympic sprinter Trayvon Bromell,” Xavier says. “Within a few months, Reebok brought me over. I worked on some products within the basketball, retro and lifestyle sectors.”
Always keenly interested in the production process, Xavier moved to Vietnam in 2019 to work at the Reebok Creation Center in Ho Chi Minh City.
“I worked with factory personnel to increase production speed and efficiency,” Xavier says. “I could draw or sketch something on the fly and go to the factory to see if we could produce it. We also worked on ways to get products to market more quickly.
“Seeing the sheer number of people working at the factory and the amount of work done by hand was eye-opening. People think the process is automated, but a lot of manual labor still goes into every shoe. That’s something I had taken for granted until I saw the workers modifying shoe molds and gluing and sewing by hand.”
Soon afterwards, Xavier moved back to the U.S. to become a global footwear designer with Adidas. While there, he became a color and materials designer for Adidas Basketball and worked on products for NBA stars such as Trae Young, Donovan Mitchell and Derrick Rose.
Xavier’s design for Reebok’s “Alien Stomper” shoe coincided with a reboot of the film “Alien.” The international footwear magazine “Sneaker Freaker” also showcased the shoe on the cover of its January 2017 issue.
Storytelling through shoes
Over the years, Xavier has also worked on products commemorating the NBA Hall of Fame induction of Allen Iverson and Shaquille O’Neal, as well as Serena Williams’ final career match at the 2022 US Open. The prominent international footwear magazine “Sneaker Freaker” featured Xavier’s design for Reebok’s “Alien Stomper” shoe—coinciding with a reboot of the film “Alien”—on the cover of its January 2017 issue.
Despite having worked on such high-profile projects, Xavier says he has yet to have a career-defining moment.
“I’m still learning and striving,” Xavier says from his office in Nike’s Serena Williams Building. “I like being present in the moment. I’m very fortunate to be in my current situation.”
As a designer, Xavier says he enjoys telling stories through colorways.
“Each shoe tells the narrative of the athlete who wears it and gives a nod to his or her key accomplishments,” he says. “For this year’s Black History Month collection for Nike, with the narrative ‘Live Together Play Together.’ It’s about making the world a better place for all races and genders.”
Xavier adds that shoe design is about more than aesthetics.
After designing licensed sports apparel for EMU, Xavier worked for the NBA’s Sacramento Kings, where he helped develop fan merchandise and a branding campaign.
“The biggest thing in footwear is to put yourself in the mindset of the athlete,” he says. “You ask: what would help him be successful on the biggest stage of his sport? What makes him special? What would resonate for him? It’s almost like method acting. You have to dive into what makes him or her tick. What are their daily routines? How do they work out? Where do they like to hang out? Who is in their circle of influence? All of these considerations go into telling the athlete’s story.”
As for projects beyond the LeBron collection for spring 2025, Xavier says he’d like to focus on mentoring youth.
“I’ve been able to check off some things I wanted to accomplish in my career,” Xavier says. “My biggest challenge now is to envision where I see myself in the next five to ten years.
“Some of my mentors and role models are [shoe designers] Jason Mayden and D’Wayne Edwards at Nike. Both have been a constant North Star for me. As I get older, I think more about how I can engage youth and inspire them to have a positive impact on the future and be the best they can possibly be.”
When he has the opportunity to talk with aspirational youth, Xavier shares his career story and provides the same level of encouragement he received from his mom when he first showed her his shoe sketch from summer camp.
“I had the wildest dream at age 10, and I was determined to see it through,” Xavier says. “I tell people to believe they’re worthy of accomplishing their biggest dreams. Trust in the process. If you stay persistent, if you give 100 percent and remain true to yourself, the universe will reward you.”
Follow Xavier Jones on Instagram: @xavierjones_xci
By Jeff Samoray
Photos provided by Xavier Jones