Denis Dekovic on Making Shoes for Ronaldo, Pharrell & Michael Jackson | The Complex Sneakers Podcast

Denis Dekovic is a designer who spent decades at the world’s top sneaker brands—Adidas and Nike, most recently. He started out at Lotto right out of high school, moved to Puma to make shoes for Michael Schumacher, helped Nike take over in soccer, and famously defected to Adidas as part of the “Three Amigos” crew of designers. Here, Dekovic talks about his long career, from sketching shoes as a kid to getting sued by Nike to working with Michael Jackson on the Moonwalker footwear brand before his passing. Also, the cohosts react to the news of Adidas’ latest plans with Yeezy. 0:00 - 5:24: Host Intros 5:24 - 8:27: J. Balvin Gifts DJ Khaled the J. Balvin x Air Jordan 3 8:27 - 11:31: 50 Cent is Going on Tour 11:31 - 14:31: Adidas' Yeezy Updates 14:31 - 16:46: Adidas x Fear of God Athletics 16:46 - 18:53: Tom Sachs Issues an Apology 18:53 - 20:15: Denis Dekovic Joins CSP 20:15 - 23:00: What’s on Feet? 23:00 - 25:28: Denis’ Intro to the Footwear Design Industry 25:28 - 27:00: Designing Soccer Cleats vs. Sneakers 27:00 - 31:42: Denis Transitions From Lotto To Fila 31:42 - 35:49: Designing for Nike 35:49 - 40:47: Working with Soccer Athletes 40:47 - 44:55: Working on "Moonwalker" with Michael Jackson 44:55 - 1:00:41 Denis Leaves Nike for Adidas 1:00:41 - 1:02:34: Working with Pharrell 1:02:34 - 1:08:24: Denis Reveals Details about his Exclusive Book Looking for the Complex Sneakers Podcast Dad Hats? Shop on Complex Shop now! https://shop.complex.com/products/the-complex-sn