Heather Haynes, also known as Homegurl Heather, is a woman of many talents and an authentic cultural game changer. The New Orleans, Louisiana native, and Clark Atlanta University graduate made her mark on the cultural zeitgeist with her creative marketing skills, earning her internships with Columbia Records and Complex Media, where she worked for three years. Following her time at Complex, she moved to the screen, becoming a senior producer with VH1 and MTV, helming shows Basketball Wives, Love & Hip-Hop, and Black Ink Crew.
Alongside those shows, she also created the award-winning docuseries Growing Up Black which details the experiences of Black people across America. Now, our favorite homegurl works at Netflix as a Global Marketing Manager putting us on to all our favorite binge-worthy series. Not only is Heather a marketing genius, but she’s also a fashion icon, so much so that Nike personally tapped her to design the Clark Atlanta University Dunks in homage to her alma mater. We tapped in with the legend to talk about her history with sneakers, the reception to her Dunks, and her future in the sneakers industry.
So, obviously, you’re a big sneakerhead. Can you tell us a little bit about your history with sneakers? Like, what was the first pair to hook you?
Ooh, yes. So, it goes back since I was a kid. My brother, who’s four years older than me, was a sneakerhead first, and it’s just me and him. I was like the annoying little sister that always wanted what he wanted, even if it was boy’s stuff. I always wanted sneakers, and eventually, I was allowed to get them. My brother would get the Eastbay magazines in the mail, and I used to want to read them too and circle the shoes that I wanted.
The first pair…that’s a good question. It was always Jordan’s because, in New Orleans, I don’t know if this was just a New Orleans thing, but Easter Sunday is when kids got new sneakers for the holiday. New Jordans always came out around Easter and Christmas. I don’t know the exact number Jordan, but every Jordan that my brother got, they were the ones that I wanted. My mom couldn’t afford to get us both Jordans, but I was infatuated with the hype around Jordans as a very young child.
So now as I’m older, I can buy my own Jordans. I feel that it’s kind of like history to start collecting the classic silhouettes and colorways. But yeah, definitely Jordans.
I know exactly what you mean. I got a brother that’s seven years older than me. Can you tell us a little bit about how you connected with Nike and how you built that relationship?
I used to live in New York. I was in New York for 11 years, and you know, working in the entertainment industry when you go out, you’ll meet people from all different types of companies. So I was at a party, and one of my homegirls was like, “You should meet this guy named Arinze Emeagwali, he works at Nike. You like sneakers, you produce sneaker shows, etc.,” So I met him at a party, and we were just talking about sneakers. We were complimenting each other on our sneakers at the time, and he was just like, “I think you’re dope. You should come to some Nike focus groups.” And I was said, “Okay, sign me up. I’m down to use my voice and give my opinion on whatever Nike has going on.”
So he started to invite me to Nike focus groups. It was so funny because it’ll be like a room of 15 other women, and we’ll just be giving our feedback on everything from merchandise to shoes. I would say that I was the most vocal of the group. I can never forget this one lady from Nike that at the end of the focus group, came up to me and she goes, “I really liked your opinion because it wasn’t just agreeing with everyone else’s opinion.” I had a different POV, and she said I wasn’t afraid, to be honest. Then she asked me whether I knew that the designer of the shoe that I was commenting on was in the room. And I was like, “Oh no, I didn’t know that.” Then I felt embarrassed because I was going ham on that lady’s design.
And then I said, “Oh my God, I’m so sorry.” The lady said, “No, this is what we need. We need people to be honest with their feedback on the designs.” And I think from there, I started to take it more seriously and try to figure out how I could work with Nike in some capacity. I used to always follow up and check-in. And then, long story short, Nike eventually created the YardRunner program, and they knew that I went to Clark Atlanta University and am an alumnus. So, opportunity just met preparation, and it all kind of made sense from there.
Touching back on that, can you give us any details on any of the shoes you might have been in the focus group for?
I honestly do not remember the names of them. I will say I only was in focus groups for women’s shoes, which I also think is something Nike should change because I wear men’s shoes, men’s colorways, right? Part of my main feedback to the Nike team was that a lot of the shoes that they showed us, were pink and purple and had glitter and stuff. And my feedback to them was just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean I like pink and purple and glitter. I would not purchase this shoe because I do not like pink, purple, and glitter. You know, I tend to skew towards more primary colors or towards the blacks and the blues and the reds, and those are the colorways you typically see on men’s shoes.
A lot of my feedback over the years to Nike and just, in general, using my own social media platform is 1. Release these shoes in woman’s sizes. 2. The colors. Give us the classic colorways that we grew up loving, and that we want the opportunity to obtain. So, you know, that was my feedback. I don’t remember the exact silhouette stuff, but it was a very fun experience, and they used to give you a gift card and some pizza, and we would be in there for like three hours just going ham on all the designs (laughs).
Image via Nike
That’s a very important point because recently, there’s been a huge push to make shoes not pink, purple, and glitter. So you’ve already had an impact on that. So they listenin’, they listening! Can you tell us a little bit about your time at Clark Atlanta University, what you learned and how that formed your design choices?
Yes. I mean Clark Atlanta University – for anyone that has never had the joy of visiting an HBCU campus and seeing campus life – it is a fashion show. Okay. It’s a fashion show because it is in the heart of Atlanta. Atlanta is the mecca of black culture. Everyone knows that, and so people show up and show out. I attended Clark from 2006 to 2010, and it was a very interesting time because it was right after Hurricane Katrina. So I think people from New Orleans had a lot of focus on them.
And immediately, all the New Orleans students formed together, and we had a clique. We had to support each other and protect each other on campus. But we also had so much swag, originality, and personality that shined through with our accents, clothes, and fashion sense. And we definitely made our mark. Granted, at the time, this was before Instagram was around, every city had its own unique style, and you could see it with their outfits, right?
Now I think all the kids look alike because everyone dresses like the internet, you know what I’m saying? So, New Orleans, we showed up, we showed out, and we had bold colors at the time. It was a lot of colorful outfits with bangles and plastic jewelry, and it made us uniquely the New Orleans clique, and it made us stand out.
I can say the same for New York. New York had they swag, Atlanta guys had they swag. So, when I was creating the Nike design, I said to myself, “How can I make it a design that’s authentic to Clark Atlanta and also represent the school in a classic way?” Because I didn’t want to do anything too off the wall where people would be saying, “What is this?” I wanted to truly lean into the school, and I went very ham with the details to make it represent the school because I wanted it to be a classic shoe that can live on for generations and generations to come after me. So that everyone that attends Clark Atlanta can be proud that they have a Nike shoe to represent their HBCU.
The reception of the shoes has been crazy in our community. They love it because it’s got that balance of being unique because it’s mismatched but not so mismatched to where it’s unwearable. So, tell me what it’s like to see that positive response to something you worked so hard on.
Image via Nike
Devin, when I tell you, that the response has been amazing, and I love to see it, but to be honest, I knew it was gone go crazy. I knew this, the shoe has so much intention behind it. And I think even if you don’t watch the “Behind the Design” episode, if you just look at the shoe and look at all the details and you went to Clark, you will get it. The shoe is very easy to understand. The design direction behind it is literally the school. Having the mismatch for instance. People were probably like, “Oh, okay, this is cool. Was it just a creative design decision?” But there was actually an intention behind that with one shoe being a Clark College shoe and one shoe being the Atlanta University shoe, and you put them together; it makes the Clark Atlanta University Dunks.
I think that was my favorite part of the design, telling the story behind the school through the design. So I honestly knew it was gone go crazy, and I knew that because when I submitted my design to the Nike team, they had no feedback. They were just like, “It’s fire.” For me, that was the co-sign I really needed from the designers who’ve been there for years and years designing all of the shoes. Seeing their excitement when we were on Zoom, breaking down all the parts of the shoe, and seeing their enthusiasm as people that do this every day for a living.
It kind of co-signed the fact that, yes, I’m a designer, I can do this, and I can kill it. So when it hit all the sneaker blogs, and all the comments say, “Yo, this fire,” it co-signed what the Nike team already told me, you know, (laughs).
I won’t lie; I was sick when I didn’t get a pair (laughs). Since the drop, how many new cousins have you got? Cause like they, they going crazy right now, everybody wants a pair.
Devin. They are going crazy. It is so much fun, though. Like my DMs, the day it dropped, my DMs were in shambles. But I loved it. I was trying to respond to everyone. I tried to get my own shoe on the SNKRS app, and I missed it as well. So, I posted that on my stories, and I had so many responses being like “lol,” and I was saying, “Ain’t nothing changed. I’m still taking L’s just like all of y’all.” But it’s okay, though. Like, that’s sneaker culture, you know what I’m saying?
I think it’s showing people that it’s part of the culture. Y’all know how it is. It’s very competitive to get these shoes. It’s a very limited release. But I do hope that the team at Nike sees the impact and they see the momentum around it, and then hopefully, we’ll get a restock coming soon.
I hope so; touching back on what you said earlier, did you feel any pressure designing the shoe knowing that Atlanta’s the most critical fashion place in the world?
Um, honestly, I don’t know if I felt pressure. I think my energy was excited. I was just excited when I got the call from Arinze telling me that I had the opportunity to design my own sneaker. I said, “Let’s go. I’m ready.” I’m competitive. I like a challenge. I didn’t really feel any pressure about how the reception would be. At the end of the day, people are going to say whatever they want to say, you know. It’s freedom, it’s freedom of opinion, it’s freedom of speech.
I was just in Zara last week on the way to homecoming, and a young lady stopped me because I had on Clark Atlanta sweatpants, and she was talking about homecoming, and my husband just asked her, “Did you like the Clark Atlanta Dunks?” And she said, “No, I didn’t like them.” We both just laughed we thought it was so funny. And then she was looking at us like, “Why are y’all laughing?” And my husband said, “This girl right here designed them.” And she said, “Oh my god, I’m so sorry.” And I told her, “Don’t be sorry, it’s fine.”
She didn’t like them, and she said she doesn’t like the color gray. Okay. I was like to each their own; that’s fine. I know I was intentional with the design, and I like it, and I know it represents the school in a great way. People are entitled to their own opinions and as they should be, so there is no pressure. I thought it was zero pressure. I like the conversation. Let’s debate about it. Let’s talk about it.
(Laughs) That’s a real sneakerhead mentality.
Yes. Let’s talk about it. Like, come on! (laughs)
In your Behind the Design interview, you said you’re looking forward to your future with Nike; if you could design any Nike silhouette, what would it be?
Oh yes. I’ve got to start manifesting; you know what I’m saying? So that’s me manifesting, putting power behind my words. I will say the Jordan 4. Going back to Jordan’s, my first love is Jordan’s. The Jordan 4 is such a clean silhouette. I love them. They look so good. They make your feet look smaller, and they look so good and clean. So that’s my favorite Jordan silhouette besides the 3s. And it’s so crazy because when I was at the school’s campus when I was doing a drop for the Dunks, all the kids were saying, “Yo, we need them Jordans next.” So they’re already saying that, and I asked them what silhouette they want, and they said the 4s too. It must be meant to be that that’s the next silhouette that I’m going to design, for sure.
I don’t think you gotta do too much manifesting (laughs).
Come on, Devin! Let’s turn me up. We’ve got to get some.
You did your thing on the Dunks; they’re beautiful. What was the most crucial detail you made sure to have in your Dunks?
Image via Nike
The funniest moment from my “Behind the Design” episode is my comment about the laces. I’ve had so many people tell me that they love the laces so much, and it’s because I got the premium lace. I’m the only one with a premium lace, and I said it was because “I’m a premium girl.” That is the funniest quote. But that really is true. I love getting all the collab shoes that have premium laces. So I really was very particular about it, and it really represents who I am.
Putting the motto, “Find a Way or Make One,” on the lace. The motto is such positive reinforcement. When you’re lacing up your shoes and reading “Find a Way or Make One,” you’re ready to go out into the world and tackle whatever is in front of you. I really wanted to be intentional with the motto’s placement, and laces was the perfect place to put it. Everyone has to read it before they go out on their journeys each day. That was my favorite detail besides the inverse of the two colors.
That’s not what I thought you were gonna say. I thought you were gonna say the date on the back ’because it was your birth year.
I mean, honestly, the whole shoe, the whole shoe represents me. Like on the back is my birth year. The premium lace is a nod to me liking luxury.
I love how you tie pieces of your personal life in with the school. So it is not just for the school; it also tells your story too. And I think that’s so beautiful.
Thank you so much. I was, I was trying to connect the dots, you know what I’m saying? To really represent who I am, and I think I did that. And to see the reception has been amazing. Amazingly, it has humbled me too. Like, yo, “This is the first of many.”
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