Why is there a lack of diversity in this industry?

“[There] seems to be a zero-sum game that impacts certain employees’ ability to advance into critical leadership roles. It’s often easy to establish your footing at the bottom rung of the ladder, but as ascension becomes the goal, narratives are created to support talent-based decisions, and these decisions are often steeped in subjectivity, not individual performance.” — Dr. Daryl Jones, former Nike executive “Lack of acknowledgment is one of the major issues. The industry first needs to recognize that diversity is an issue in order to figure out ways to solve it. You cannot work on solving an issue that you don’t seem to recognize.” — Armando Cabral, designer “The age-old excuse I’ve heard related to the big brands is the geographical locations are unappealing, i.e., Portland [Ore.] and Boston. Not sure if that is a legitimate excuse 40 or 50 years later for the big brands. Based on my observations, it feels like the brands have the opportunity to start going out of their way to attract great diverse talent to their brands and their cities.” — James Whitner, The Whitaker Group “It starts at the senior level, but it is the level right below where you experience it the most. People promote and want to be around the people they feel most comfortable with. Also, there isn’t any internal process that gives an equal chance to compete for positions. The other big reason is that people confuse diversity with inclusion, but they are separate concepts. Hiring a few African-Americans doesn’t cut it. You have to have a culture where people feel equally respected and valued without the fear of speaking up.” — Anonymous “The shoe industry is not singled out here when it comes to a lack of diversity. We have many moving parts in this world that lack diversity. My take on it stems from the majority rules, and the minority continues to fight for an opportunity.” — Courtney Delmore, Sole Brothers “I’m not sure if it’s a case of minorities’ being passed up for positions (particularly management/senior roles) or if minorities are seeking out more structured, clear career paths in the industries like medicine or law that offer long-term stability. Careers in fashion or footwear are less certain and perhaps harder to navigate.” — Robin McCoy, FitFlop

“[The lack of diversity in design schools] has prompted me to create a brand, CHNG.Design, that will work with companies to create cobranded product, with 100 percent of the proceeds going into a scholarship fund. I will also ask the schools to match the scholarship dollar-for-dollar to increase the number of AfricanAmerican kids in design and art schools.” — D’Wayne Edwards, Pensole Design Academy “It takes just one person to fight for you. [A highranking Nike exec once told me]: ‘Jason, you are valuable. You are worth advocating for. Your talent is exceptional.’ No one ever told me that before.” — Jason Mayden, Super Heroic “Fashion and culture go hand in hand. Our clothes and shoes are a source of nonverbal communication, which sends messages about who we are, where we come from. And that cannot be achieved on a single point of view; it has to be more diverse.” — Cabral “First, top-level executives need to openly acknowledge the lack of diversity. Secondly, if shoe any company is serious about diversity, they should start recruiting at the college level. For example, partner with [Historically Black Collegesand Universities] to recruit potential candidates. Additionally, companies should start internal one-on-one mentoring programs that pair minorities with senior-evel executives who can provide career advice and long-term guidance as minorities advance in their careers.” — McCoy “People don’t mean malice behind things they say. It’s just learned behavior that can change. But we have to approach it from an education standpoint. You don’t know what you don’t know.” — Cheresse Thornhill, design consultant