Heart & Sole. The Autobiography of Omar Bailey and the Unlikely Story of Black Entrepreneurship in the American Sneaker Industry - Omar Bailey

Heart & Sole is the story of Omar Bailey, who was born the son of Jamaican immigrants - a construction worker and a caregiver - in New York City in the 1980s. The book traces his extraordinary life, from the roughest areas of the Bronx and later Florida, growing up in neighborhoods and schools where children saw more punches than projects, and where bullets often flew, to some of the best art institutions in the country, honing his skill as a sneaker designer, followed by grueling postings across the world, learning how to create, market, and sell the products he envisioned. Having worked for the likes of New Balance, Timberland, and Lotto and designed shoes for everyone from Lady Gaga to Jay Z, his journey finally culminated with an offer to head Kanye West and Adidas's Yeezy Design Innovation Lab, after which Bailey has gone on to further blaze a trail of his own.

The book is a profound lesson in perseverance, written in the rare, balanced voice of a person who recognises their strengths, and still chooses to remain deeply humble, curious, and striving. Though it is the memoir of an artist, business people everywhere will benefit from Bailey's wisdom. And while it is an industrial manual for today's creator, it is also at its core a testament to upending the story of race in America. Bringing these important strands together, Heart & Sole will have you both tearing up, as well as punching the air for its author's wins.