Resurrection of the Sole
Angelina Flores sews together pieces of the shoes she is designing. Credit: Cat Evans
Story and Photos by Cat Evans
Footwear in the United States is a multibillion-dollar industry. The powerhouse market has seamlessly generated a major influential gateway into the minds of American youth and culture. Chris Hunt, a teacher at William Smith High School (WSHS), is no stranger to the impact of sneaker culture on his students
William Smith is a Project-Based Learning (PBL) school located in Aurora, Colo. According to the PBL website, this means it uses “methods of teaching in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects.” Although WSHS is a member of Aurora Public Schools, Hunt points out the differences in the standard curriculum for a PBL school.
“The classic approach to public education is taking a standard and supplying the class to meet the standard,” Hunt said. “The difference with PBL is we can teach whatever, as long as we are meeting those standards. We have to be very intentional about how we are getting those standards into the curriculum.”
It’s a common method in academia to simply purchase preset curriculums, exercise through said curriculums, and once students fulfill that curriculum, all standards should be met. William Smith chose a more creative route to teaching. One of Hunt’s personal contributions to WSHS, which includes classes like jewelry making, screen printing, and sewing, is a shoemaking class. The class is one of the most sought-after classes in the school.
Hunt reminds the students it’s their choice to be there, they are in the class of their own volition, “The students sign up for the class, for me, it’s already leverage, I let them know we are doing fun stuff, not digging ditches,” said Hunt.
In this specific class, the students recreate their own version of Nike sneakers from scratch. That includes all assembling from the sole up. They sew together different fabrics and materials, step by step, in anticipation of the final reveal. At the end of the project, students will have an opportunity to show their final result via a fashion show-like event.
From a legal standpoint, there is no issue in recreating these — including the Nike logo — so long as no money is made off the shoes themselves. Nike customizations can be controversial. In the modern shoe market, it is common to sell custom Nikes for large profits and then quietly pocket the profits. For William Smith students, this is of no concern. The key focus is skill development, creative control, and autonomous execution. By learning the trade of shoemaking, along with additional skills like designing or marketing, the knowledge the students gain often translates beyond the classroom.
Beyond any sort of brand, the focus is an emphasis on independent skill, creativity, and individualism. The overarching goal for Hunt is putting the director’s hat on a curious head with the intention of inspiring his students to be navigators, editors, and most importantly, in charge of how they piece things together in their immediate reality. Custom clothing, reused materials, local branding, entrepreneurship, and creativity are core elements of our current culture. Skills learned in this class can be applied for a lifetime.
“I had a student check out a sewing machine last summer; I had to ask for it back,” Hunt said. “If I have a class, and students start designing their own stuff — that, right there, is why I do this work.” As a teacher, Hunt believes that students taking their skill sets and building something(s) of their own is a fruitful, long-lasting outcome.
Chris Hernandez, a sophomore enrolled in Hunt’s shoemaking class, has plans beyond his creation of the royal blue and black silhouette shoe – which happens to match his outfit. All of the materials Hernandez used to design the shoe’s toe box, with the fabric tongue painted black, the rest of the shoe, colored royal blue – outside of the Nike check – and the shoelaces made of string – were donated by the public. “I wanted to make something no one else had made before,” Hernandez explained. He completed Hunt’s sewing class during the last quarter of 2022, which included designing costumes for William Smith High School’s production of the play, “West Side Story.”
Although he doesn’t yet have his own sewing machine, Hernandez has hand-sewing kits at home and looks forward to working on new designs.
“Sewing is one of my interests,” Hernandez said. “With what I’ve learned in the shoe design class, I’ve been thinking about getting an airbrush and customizing shoes like that. Customizing is something I want to go into. I feel like sewing calms me down. It’s peaceful.”
Meaningful and genuine student-teacher relationships frequently encourage greater engagement with students, while sparking their curiosity and desire to learn.
Currently, there are 365 students enrolled in WSHS. For comparison, Denver Public Schools’ East High School has a current student body count of 2,581. The lower enrollment at WSHS makes it easier for teachers to work directly with their students and address their different needs.
At WSHS, all teachers operate on a first-name basis to remove the power dynamic between educators and pupils. There are no bells to remind students of periods beginning and ending — just clocks along the walls. The environment becomes its own safe space, the small size drawing more accountability for teachers and students alike.
Hernandez’s fellow sophomore, Angela Flores, a self-proclaimed “little sneaker fan,” chose the shoemaking class and became instantly intrigued by the process. “I wanted to learn more and make a custom shoe,” she said. “It’s fun, but it’s hard. Every stitch has to be right. It’s a challenge.” Flores said she looks forward to the class every day because it’s one of her favorite classes, with the atmosphere being calm, and the vibe, supportive.
The students are not only deeply engaged but also proud of the work they accomplish. Many of them work in silence for the majority of the class, their eyes fixed on their creations. All the materials they use are donation-based with an entire sub-room stuffed with a variety of fabrics that makes the students’ options endless. Shortly after Hunt posted online about the class and the need for supplies, people began to donate the goods in mass quantities.
Alternative methods to meeting educational standards are welcomed by everyone at William Smith. The school’s atmosphere is abuzz with excitement in the air, plenty of open space, student artwork, and colorful murals. The building serves as a space for expansion, where teachers are eager to connect with students and educate them using different approaches that translate beyond standardized academia.
The PBL method is a young concept, where teachers propose their own curriculum, hoping to open the door to students, so they can learn new skills and develop fuller relationships. Chris Hunt’s shoemaking class is one of many creative opportunities for William Smith High School students, proving that the future of PBL is both promising and necessary.