Shedrick Turner may not be a household name in sneaker circles, or even have a brand backing his work. Look for that to change soon. After catching his amazing sneaker renderings, we took the time to catch up with the young designer to discuss his start in sketching, his definition of design and how he sees the future of footwear. Learn all that in more in this Express Your Sole interview. For a chance to have your sneaker art of any format showcased on Nice Kicks, use the hashtag #expressyoursole on Instagram and Twitter.
Nice Kicks: For those unfamiliar with you and your work, please introduce yourself.
Shedrick Turner: I am Kido Whippington, but my real name is Shedrick Wallace Turner, Jr. I am 19 years old and I am from Atlanta, GA. I attend Georgia State University and I am a creative visionary with a passion for footwear design, streetwear and pop culture.
Nice Kicks: How long have you been into drawing?
Shedrick Turner: I’ve been drawing my entire life. I have always used sketching as a form of expression, from drawing cartoons to animals and anything else around me that piqued my interest.
Nice Kicks: When did you start drawing and rendering sneakers?
Shedrick Turner: I started drawing and rendering sneakers in my freshman year of college. Around November 2012 was when I really started to take things serious. Back in middle school when I was younger, I used to make mock-up colorways of Air Force 1s with different prints, but I never pursued design until November of last year. I always liked sneakers and had a lot of friends who rocked Fusions and Jordan 7s. For me it was different – Vans were my thing. Stores like Foot Locker, Champs and Finish Line were just too costly. See, I was blessed to have everything that I needed and have that drive to be the best when everyone doubted my talent and didn’t recognize my potential. High school just wasn’t my time. I wasn’t with the in-crowd, but when I discovered that designing footwear could actually take me somewhere I held on to it like it was my last breath. There have been countless times where I would wake up at 8am and just sketch, write, study and innovate in some way until 1am the next morning. I wouldn’t rest until I pushed every inch of my soul into my work, because that’s what matters. The same remains true to this very day. I made a promise that I would try and do 21 years worth of work before I turn 21 and the one thing that keeps me in good spirits with designing is faith in pursuit of a dream.
Nice Kicks: Have you thought of pursing a career in footwear?
Shedrick Turner: Absolutely! Nike is a definite goal I have in mind. My good friend Frank from Wish really helped out with encouraging me to pursue an internship and networking with people who are in the same field of study. A lot of the people in Foot Locker in Underground ATL really took well to some of my work and a lot of them were asking if I planned on working in the field, but most definitely Nike, without a doubt. I even thought about doing freelance with other companies like Gourmet, CLAE and Supra. I’m really excited to see where it takes me!
