Meet Sam Quintanilla

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Quintanilla.

Sam, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
As a senior at Hononegah High School in Rockton, Illinois, I had big dreams of playing in the NFL. During the summer of 2010, I became a walk-on freshman at the University of Texas-El Paso and I quickly realized I was not the only one trying to go pro. I was the tallest member of the team but I looked like a basketball player compared to the other guys in my position. Once the football season ended, I started to question my future and decided to leave UTEP after just one year.

Two years and two transfers later, I found myself quitting football altogether and dropping out of North Central College. At that point in my life both academics and athletics slipped right through my fingers. Lost, without direction, and all out of options, I followed my parent’s wishes and moved back home to get my head on straight.

From 2013-15 I worked a series of jobs that showed me a glimpse of life without a college degree. It was somewhere between stocking the shelves at Michaels and pressure washing cracker dough out of machines that I realized I was meant for more.

To help pass the time I found myself drawing at lunch and break. By listening to music and scribbling on paper, I found a much-needed escape from my temporary situation. I rediscovered my love for drawing and kept a few pages of paper in my back pocket at all times.

One night I came across a beautiful sketch of some sneakers online and it made me wonder how shoes were made. I did some research and learned about all the different positions in the footwear industry and slowly taught myself how to draw shoes. I took it one break at a time and started with simple boxes. I couldn’t stop thinking about all the possibilities and suddenly I was more motivated than ever before.

I had quite a financial and academic hole to dig myself out of before returning to school but my dream of becoming a shoe designer helped me persevere. Currently, I’m in my third year of industrial design at Arizona State University and I often reflect on the wild and winding road that brought me here. The adversity I’ve faced along the way has given me the strength to weather any storm and if I continue to work hard and aim high the rest will fall into place.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Failure to meet my own expectations. Enrolling in three schools over three years. (College)
Academic probation, Quitting football, Toxic relationship, Dropping out of school, Brief bought with depression, Paying a ten-thousand-dollar balance before I could send my transcripts to a new school, Working in sanitation and assembly, Attending school after three years away.

 ASU stopped offering the major I was going to take a year before I got there. I was told I could complete design studies in two years, but I would find out the industrial design program is a four-year minimum. Submitting my portfolio after the first year at ASU to gain acceptance into the industrial design program. Currently looking for an internship with more denial emails than interviews.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
As a designer, I love footwear, I’m always looking around at what people wear and apparel is something I’m starting to notice as well. I like to learn new skills and watch countless “how to” videos for research. I taught myself how to screenprint t-shirts, wire new headlights, use a sewing machine, and airbrush to name a few.

The most unique thing I do is airbrushing shoes. I’ve customized around ten pairs so far and it’s been a hobby of mine for three years now. I love coming up with a theme or idea and watching it appear before my eyes. One of the most satisfying aspects of customizing is removing the tape. I put a lot of effort into prepping the shoe before I paint so I go through a lot of tapes to achieve a crisp paint job. It’s like unwrapping a Christmas present!

My favorite project thus far is from 2019, when I traveled to LA for a shoemaking class hosted by The Shoe Surgeon. Over the course of four days I learned how to construct an Air Jordan 1 from scratch. I was able to pick all my materials, colors, and learned how to stich the whole thing together with the help of his team. It was an incredible learning experience with a room full of really talented people.

The ability to overcome my biggest failures helps me stand out from other designers. There are many skills a designer can learn over the course of their career but having the guts a will to push through when times get tough allows me the ability to speak from the heart. I was humbled by rock bottom and gained tremendous respect for anyone chasing their dreams.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
At this point, the future is a mystery for me. I have one more year of school before I earn my degree and from there I will follow the best opportunity available. I would love to work in the footwear industry but it’s a highly competitive field and I need to earn my foot in the door. Eventually, I want to have a home studio where I have the space to work on multiple projects at once with the ability to create freely.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.samqdesign.com
• Instagram: @s.quint

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