Salehe Bembury has taken a decisive step in his career with the launch of SPUNGE, his own independent footwear brand. The venture marks the first time a designer-owned label has entered the market without the support of a major corporate footwear company. Bembury serves as both founder and creative lead, shaping the brand’s direction and identity entirely on his own terms.
Reflecting on the move, Bembury explained that more than fifteen years of work as a footwear designer and collaborator led him to this point. He recognized the need for complete control over his creative process in order to reach the ambitions he has set for himself. SPUNGE serves as the platform for him to deliver footwear that reflects his design vision without compromise.
The brand makes its debut alongside Bembury’s upcoming book, I MAKE SHOES, published by Rizzoli on October 14. The book documents his career and practice in footwear and industrial design, offering readers insight into the experiences that informed his decision to launch SPUNGE. The debut model, Osmosis, draws from those years of expertise, offering a performance-lifestyle sneaker that reflects his signature approach to organic design language while maintaining everyday functionality.
Osmosis introduces a proprietary cushioning system called SQUISH TECH™, which defines the shoe’s innovation. The system combines encapsulated foam with an engineered stability cage. Together, these elements create SQUISH TECH™ domes that distribute energy evenly while keeping the foot stable. This dual structure gives the sneaker both comfort and performance credibility, reinforcing SPUNGE’s focus on originality in technical footwear design.
Bembury has built the project in collaboration with VIOLET ST, a team of footwear specialists and business builders who create platforms for new footwear labels from leading figures in art, culture, sport, and design. Their involvement ensures that SPUNGE launches with a strong foundation capable of scaling globally.
Osmosis retails for $150 and enters the market through an online raffle on beaspunge.com. Four colorways: Yukon, Slaw, Mung, and Malawi are available. Entrants selected in the raffle will receive notification on October 13. The release will also be supported through launch events at Dover Street Market London, Kith NYC, A Ma Maniere Atlanta, and ComplexCon Las Vegas, leading into the global retail release scheduled for November 15.
