Meet the Man Responsible for Nike Basketball's Colorway Design

As Nike continues to introduce new technology specs to improve its footwear performance capabilities, the brand also continues to innovate its visual aesthetics through new color combinations and patterns. A man responsible for much of the direction of Nike’s recent colorways is Eugene Rogers, Nike Basketball‘s Color Lead. Executing color palettes across Nike’s diverse basketball selection, Rogers coordinates combinations from the Hyperdunk to signature lines, including the LeBron, Kobe and Durant. Noting the importance of outside influences, Rogers breaks down the influences behind multiple LeBron 12 renditions, pointing out that a player’s nickname, playing style and hometown can play a large part in making a unique, visual product. designboom recently caught up with Eugene Rogers as the two converse about the designer’s background, skill set and influences in the creative process. Enjoy excerpts of the interview below and check out the full feature here.

designboom: please could you tell us a bit about your background and how you came to work as a colorist for NIKE?

Eugene Rogers: I grew up in new york and studied industrial design syracuse university. after school I worked in product design for a few years at different new york offices. in one of my last jobs before joining NIKE I worked on backpacks and luggage for a design consultancy – that was when I became more focused on color and fabrics. eventually I met some people who were working at NIKE and they suggested I apply for a job here, which is what I did. seven years ago I started working here as a color designer and just worked my way up to being color lead for basketball. I’ve played basketball since I was a kid so I’ve always had an affection for basketball shoes, which makes this job a perfect fit for me.

designboom: where do you look for new colorway ideas and inspiration?

Eugene Rogers: the answer to that would be pretty generic: inspiration comes from everywhere: nature, emotions, art, things you see on the street, movies, music… I’m always looking and thinking about color but it’s very important to keep it relevant. ‘does it work in the context of basketball?’. whatever we look at it’s always through the lens of basketball.

designboom: are there any colors you personally avoid using?

Eugene Rogers: no! I can’t afford to think like that. I suppose when I started I would have thought it strange to use bright pink on a basketball shoe but you see in today’s world it wouldn’t be the case at all. perhaps these days it would be a challenge to use more mundane colors on a shoe.