Steven Smith Talks HEYDUDE, Crocs, and The Future of Dad Shoes

If you’ve ever participated in the hobby of sneakers or even consumed footwear as part of the general population that doesn’t care about hype or exclusivity, you’re more than likely to have encountered a shoe designed by Steven Smith. Scratch that. You most definitely have.

Steven Smith became a household name amongst sneakerheads when he worked for Ye during the adidas Yeezy partnership. He joined the team in late 2016, so he didn’t have a hand in the 750 or 350s, but he was the lead designer for a number of iconic adidas Yeezy shoes like the 450, 500, 700, 700 V2, and 700 V3.

Before his time at Yeezy, Smith had ventured across the footwear world, designing models for New Balance (1500, 574, and 997), adidas (Artillery), Reebok (InstaPump Fury), FILA (Grant Hill’s signature line), Nike (Air Zoom Spiridon Caged 2), and more.

The Godfather of Dad Shoes Takes on HEYDUDE

Today, Steven Smith, who is often nicknamed “The Godfather of Dad Shoes,” is working for Crocs, where he holds the title of Head of Creative Innovation. His first design for the company was the Crocs Ripple, which dropped at the end of 2025, and he quickly followed that up with the Roy model. But last month, Smith jumped over to HEYDUDE, which is owned by Crocs, to create his latest “Dad Shoe” silhouette, the Stride S.

The HEYDUDE Stride S sold out in under 12 hours, marking the first time a HEYDUDE sneaker has sold out on its first day on the market. That’s not to discredit the company; it’s just that their focus has been on easily accessible footwear for the masses as opposed to a “hype” market. If you did miss out on the drop, HEYDUDE has confirmed that the shoe will have restocks throughout the rest of the year.

Sole Retriever was able to sit down and chat with the legendary Steven Smith to talk about his first design for HEYDUDE, his role at Crocs, and what the “Dad Shoe” means to him today.

Why Crocs was the Right Move

We already mentioned Smith's spectacular resume, which spans 40 years of experience, so why go to Crocs now? The brand is a departure from Steven’s traditional footwear experiences with legacy labels, as Crocs is known mainly for its Classic Clog and foam-based footwear, but it still makes sense. “Crocs was very welcoming to new thought processes, new ideas,” said Smith. “And it’s the smart thing to do, because it’ll lead to growth and expansion and getting to a new consumer from where they normally are. I don’t want to take away from the normal consumer. I just want to add.”

Steven also appreciates how Crocs has pushed him into the spotlight, using him, the designer, as a selling point for his products. He mentioned in our conversation that this is new territory for him, as after designing products for decades and being “faceless behind it,” Crocs is “using me as a vehicle for the brand.” Unless you’re in the upper echelon of designers like Smith or Salehe Bembury, your name being attached to specific designs does nothing to help the company.

Building the HEYDUDE Stride S

At this point, Smith will forever be tied to the “Dad Shoe” design, and at first, being named “The Godfather of Dad Shoes” wasn’t something he felt proud of. “When they first gave me that moniker, I was a little offended,” he said. “I do performance running, I do track spikes, mountaineering. But coming to embrace it, it’s an interesting classification, and I think it is that simple honesty, great value, and beautiful comfort. That’s what that represents.”

His designs that have stood the test of time and become enshrined as “Dad Shoes” can check all of those boxes, so how did Smith approach making a dad shoe for HEYDUDES? Even with his design focus shifting to the more experimental side with Crocs, Steven was able to pull on his 40+ years of design experience.

From initial sketches to the product hitting the market can take some footwear brands 18 to 24 months, but Smith emphasized that the model took less than a year to hit shelves. Samples went by with a breeze, with HEYDUDE only needing two rounds of revisions where some labels take three to five rounds to get a design right. A far cry from Smith’s days at Yeezy, where Ye was notorious for producing dozens and dozens of samples before landing on a final design.

“Once I started to show the designs within the HEYDUDE development team, they were super great about embracing it and helping take it to market,” said Smith. “It’s a great company, great teammates. It’s been an amazing process.”

The multi-paneled upper allows for a play on colors, though the first release of the HEYDUDE Stride S does lean heavily into the neutral white and grey associated with traditional “Dad Shoes.” While we know that more releases for the Stride S are on the horizon, Smith did tease potential new makeups for the model in the future. “There's lots of good ones on deck.”

Looking Ahead

Now that Steven Smith has crossed company lines, it opens more doors for experimentation from one of the most legendary designers to grace the footwear industry. Perhaps we see Crocs as his arm for avant-garde and, of course, foam-based footwear, and HEYDUDES as a way to stretch his “Dad Shoe” muscles once more.

When asked about potential new designs, including a more traditional sneaker from Crocs teased during Paris Fashion Week (pictured above), Smith played coy, saying, “There are a lot of fun things cooking."

Alongside the fact that Crocs and HEYDUDES trust Steven’s vision and allow him to have fun, he’s also happy about the price point of his designs. “I’m happy that [the HEYDUDE Stride S] came out for under $100. It’s amazing, the comfort and everything we did with it, right down to the really beautiful HEYDUDE footbeds in it. It’s just amazing.”

If you want to stay informed on Steven Smith, Crocs, and upcoming HEYDUDES projects, as well as the latest releases across the footwear world, download the Sole Retriever mobile app.

Nicholas Vlahos

Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. When not writing for Sole Retriever, I enjoy watching films and discovering music. Follow me on Letterboxd @nickvlah For tips, reviews, or any shoes in a size 13, email nick@soleretriever.com