Meet Jeff Puryear | Creative Director/Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jeff Puryear and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jeff, what do you attribute your success to?
The most important factor to the success of our brand is connection. Everything we do is built on the power of truly listening to people—their stories, their dreams, their culture—and translating that into wearable art that speaks volumes. We don’t just design sneakers; we design expressions of identity. That human-centered approach is what sets us apart.

And it doesn’t stop there. We’ve taken that same energy into the classroom, launching programs to inspire and equip the next generation of creators. For us, success isn’t just about selling shoes—it’s about creating impact, building legacy, and making sure the people who inspire our work are seen, heard, and celebrated.”

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve always used my creativity as a therapeutic outlet. I’ve been doing art since a kid and collecting sneakers since high school. When the pandemic locked us all in, I needed my creative outlet even more so I decided to merge my two loves, sneakers and art. My first pairs were just for fun, not even for sale. I would do my version of hyped sneaker releases that I couldnt get. Many of the hyped and super expenses sneaker releases are collaborations between shoe brands and celebrities. This made me think, why should only celebrities be allowed to express their stories and creativity? There are plenty of people out here with important stories, but major brands aren’t reaching out to them. Thus PuryearCreative was born as a catalyst to expose those hidden stories and give everyone their own chance to be heard.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There really is nowhere on earth like Chicago. The list of things to do, see, and eat is too long to mention. Of course you would have to hit the tourist spots like the lakefront and downtown just for the photo opps. For sneakers/clothing I would definitely tell them to hit LDRS, Succezz, and Back to the Vintage in Oak Lawn. The important thing….food, man, there are so many places. Ill skip the usual deep dish pizza and hot dogs spots and give you a few hidden gems. Smokes Bistro on 87th st has the best and probably only lamb sausage pizza out there. Afro Joe’s has the best breakfast sandwiches and coffee (get the hidden duck bacon added), Sanders BBQ is a no miss for anything on the menu, but if I had to name 1 place…The Jerk Wings from “PJ with Dat Jerk”. Trust me! I know im missing things, but its just that much here.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
None of this would be possible without my wife. She’s been my anchor, my motivation, my muse, and my biggest believer—even when the vision was just a sketch in my head. Every late night, every setback, every win—I carried her support with me. My success isn’t just mine; it’s a reflection of her sacrifice and her faith in me, which I never take lightly. Everything I build, I build with the goal of making her and my son proud, giving them the life they deserve, and carrying on the Puryear legacy. That’s the real fuel behind everything I do.

Website: https://Www.puryearcreative.com

Instagram: @PuryearCreative