Joe Freshgoods Talks Telling Stories of Black Resiliency Through Footwear and a Perfect Marriage With New Balance

On a rainy March morning, Joseph Robinson saunters into South Facing Windows, a studio in Chicago’s South Side, with a suitcase and boxes in hand. 

The self-styled Robinson, dressed in all black, arrives in a Bottega Veneta workwear jacket, T-shirt from Willy Chavarria, baggy Acne Studios sweatpants and oversized Balenciaga boots. And he has come with ample outfits for his FN cover shoot. 

He pulls out a denim top from Y/Project (“I bought everything before they went out of business”), a hat from Prada and another from Colbo, which he purchased in the brand’s store in New York’s Lower East Side (“It might be my favorite new store, it’s a hidden gem”). 

Robinson, who designs under the moniker Joe Freshgoods, then unpacks a box filled to the brim with samples of sneakers that never made it to retail. Sitting on top of the pile, however, is a shoe that he will eventually release and is especially excited for the world to see. 

“That’s my baby. It’s super limited. That’s probably my new $2,000 shoe,” he says about the resale premiums fans often pay when they miss out on a release at retail. 

However, after showing off the shoes, he sets them aside, requesting that any info be kept under wraps. Robinson, who loves to tease his projects on social media, said he’s trying to do a better job of hiding things. 

“Leakers mess up my flow. It’s part of the culture, so I’m not mad about it, but every detail is precise, and first impressions are everything,” he explained. 

So why is Robinson so concerned? Maybe because he’s got a lot to protect. 

Robinson and New Balance are celebrating the fifth anniversary of their partnership, one that has yielded tremendous hits, fueled by his compelling storytelling. The celebration began in February with the “Aged Well” 992 release, a colorway that resembles what it would look like if his very first collaboration with the brand had faded in sunlight over time. And soon, Robinson and New Balance will share their journey in documentary form. The “Aged Well” documentary will debut this summer during Paris Fashion Week. 

“This five-year anniversary is a significant milestone for us. It represents not only a successful partnership that’s produced 20 iconic pairs of footwear, but also the cultural impact that we’ve had together in the sneaker industry,” said Kevin Trotman, New Balance’s product manager for collaborations and energy. 

Though Robinson is humble (“When I start feeling myself, then I lost myself”), he is acutely aware this run of success with New Balance is unparalleled. “I cannot say this enough, but it’s so hard to release sneakers twice a year, sometimes three times a year, and keep people into it,” he said. “That’s one thing I’m going to look back on and be like, ‘Holy s–t, I can’t believe we didn’t get stale.’”

And while some credit the designer with sparking New Balance’s recent resurgence, Robinson is having none of it. “This whole dialogue of who brought New Balance back, that s–t just makes me like, ‘Shut up.’ I had a little part in things growing.”

FOR THE CITY

What’s impressive about his success is the fact that Robinson is a self-taught designer with an insatiable entrepreneurial drive.

He began by crafting clothes in high school, and from there, worked at the now-defunct Fashion Geek store and then at legendary retailer Leaders 1354. In 2009, he launched his streetwear brand Dope Boy Magic that he would eventually change to Don’t Be Mad, releasing beloved collections, including the Chance the Rapper-modeled “Thank You Obama” apparel.

That was just the beginning. He has since debuted two retail stores, Fat Tiger Workshop with friends Terrell Jones, Des Owusu and Vic Lloyd (it was a Wicker Park staple from 2014 to 2022); and Every Now and Then, which debuted in 2022 and recently closed amid plans to relaunch in another location. 

Robinson’s business also includes a 15,000-square-foot warehouse and a new headquarters that will open this spring. What’s more, his team now has 21 employees across those fashion ventures.

The entrepreneur is proudly doing it on his home turf. “For the younger generation, I wanted to show them that you can come up in Chicago,” he said. “I traveled doing pop-ups, but the more I moved throughout the industry, I thought of the number of creatives that come from Chicago and move. I want to change that logic.” 

Leaders 1354 founder Corey Gilkey, who hired Robinson in 2007, believes this will pay dividends for years. “To stay here and give opportunities to people he grew up in the business with, that says a lot. We needed him to stay here. Now you got this cool collective from his success,” he said. 

Robinson’s crew includes creative strategist Joe Grondin, who was part of the New Balance team that discovered his star power. 

Grondin said he and Robinson grew close while at New Balance and had discussed doing something bigger together. After Grondin departed New Balance in 2023, he briefly worked for Aimé Leon Dore as its chief marketing officer. “When that didn’t work out, Joe was the first person I called,” Grondin recalled. “I’ve worked with a lot of people, but he has this special thing, and I felt with a little help and structure, he could be much bigger. It’s like a passion project that I still wanted to be a part of.”

THE ART OF STORYTELLING

When reflecting on his work with New Balance, Robinson waxes poetic on two stories in particular: “Outside Clothes” (as told via the 990v3) and “Inside Voices” (expressed through the 9060).

“‘Outside Clothes’ is what it feels like growing up in the summertime, trying to make it home before streetlights come on,” he explained. “‘Inside Voices’ is like those Saturday mornings spending time with your cousins and grandma cooking in
the kitchen.”

Also atop his list of favorite projects is “1998,” a trio of New Balance 990v4 colorways inspired by the hit film “Belly.” “That is always going to be my magnum opus because everything that can go right happened,” Robinson said.

The project was applauded by “Belly” writer and director Hype Williams and was spotted on the feet of rap megastars Kendrick Lamar and Jay-Z. Robinson also received a FaceTime from hip-hop icon Nas, who starred in the film. (The love the shoe received from rappers is fitting, as Robinson often speaks about his projects in music terms.)

“I got a phone call from one of my homies, he was like, ‘I’m with Nas. Why didn’t he get your shoes?’ I thought he was lying. He FaceTimed me and Nas had the phone. I’m just like, ‘Oh s–t,’” he recalled.

Also, his work is replete with easter eggs he hopes people recognize. 

Thankfully, they do. 

“The easter eggs make people pay attention, makes the moment last longer,” said Ticara Devone, a Chicago-based host and content creator, who has witnessed Robinson’s ascent since Day One. 

Specifically, she was enamored with the inclusion of Robinson’s grandfather and great-grandfather in the tapestry at the “A Friend Named Cousin” art exhibition in Paris, as well as a photo he shared in February holding a newspaper that seemingly revealed his plans for the year.

“If anybody zoomed in on the newspaper, they’d see everything that’s coming out,” Robinson said with a laugh. “Sometimes I need people to do the research.”

Though the designer has plenty of hits, he’s also honest when things don’t land as he had hoped — specifically, “Beneath the Surface,” which featured camouflage-adorned iterations of the New Balance 610.  

“That’s the one we sold the least. I was trying something different,” said Robinson. “In music terms, that’s my experimental album, like Common’s ‘Electric Circus.’ The 610 project is my ‘Electric Circus.’”

Because of his success with New Balance, Robinson’s fans have speculated about what he could accomplish if he worked with other sneaker brands. 

But Robinson isn’t interested. “I met with different teams, but wouldn’t it feel weird if Steph Curry left Golden State? That’s how I feel,” he explained. “I’ve been winning some championships and I’m at a place where I have trust. I’m getting everything that I want, plus more, and I’m still challenging us to get better as partners.”

He has, however, expanded into other footwear categories. During the shoot, he revealed his first project with lifestyle brand Blackstock & Weber: a reimagined iteration of its Ellis penny loafer that arrives this summer.  

“We’re in this place where people are trying to switch up,” Robinson said. “The loafer found this place between the boot and the sneaker.”

The look’s bold red color was inspired by several things, including Chicago Bulls icon Michael Jordan’s Porsche 911 Turbo S and the suit Eddie Murphy wore in his 1983 comedy special, “Delirious.” It was also inspired by rent parties, which residents of Harlem, N.Y., would host in the 1920s to raise money to pay their rent. “Inside the shoe, it says ‘We Don’t Complain, We Figure It Out.’ It’s a nod to how strong Black people are with their creativity,” Robinson said. 

Blackstock & Weber founder and creative director Chris Echevarria said the storytelling behind the shoe is a much-needed departure from the norm. “When we started to think about this, it was like, how can we showcase culture in a way that doesn’t continue to feel downtrodden?” Echevarria said. “For example, a slave movie might come out and that’s supposed to be the indicator of what Black history is. To us, what’s closer is the Harlem Renaissance, rent parties, the Black Panther movement, free breakfast programs.”

He continued, “Black people are more interested in looking at what we did with the scraps that we were given as opposed to continuing to look at the scraps.”

ALL WE GOT

Robinson confirmed he has more collaborations with Black-owned brands on the way — something that will remain a priority moving forward.

“It’s a mission for me to work with brands from owners that look like me,” Robinson said. “I want to make sure I work with people in different backgrounds to make magic.”

His insistence on supporting Black creatives comes after years of being on the receiving end of help. For instance, he often sought advice from design icon Virgil Abloh. DJ Clark Kent was a source of unfiltered honesty. And Gilkey, with whom Robinson maintains a relationship today, offered him opportunity. 

At Leaders 1354, Gilkey recalled times when skin color proved to be a barrier for entry into the industry, and why Robinson’s success is critical for change.  

“He’s seen at trade shows, like the Chicago Collective, how certain brands wouldn’t sell to us because we’re Black. We’re in the Midwest, and Chicago is still a segregated city. It’s important to him to expand because it helps us all,” Gilkey said. 

Robinson’s success has had a profound effect on other Black creatives, like Devone, who is also from Chicago’s West Side. She said when she needs motivation, she looks to his Sprite collaboration, which features a message Robinson wrote to her: “Chicago been loving you. The world is next.”

“Joe sees me. It’s important to be acknowledged by somebody at his level,” she said. 

That kind of artistic beacon is something Robinson lacked even a few years ago. For instance, he recalled creating a commercial for the “Outside Clothes” release in 2021, using the Spike Lee movies “Crooklyn” and “Do the Right Thing” as references.

“I didn’t really have like, ‘Let me see what James Whitner is doing. Let me see what Jae Tips is doing.’ I didn’t have a reference then of how to properly tell Black stories via sneakers. I’m like, ‘This s–t is going to be too Black and people are not going to get it,’” he recalled. “But it worked. It worked so good, I started to see hella commercials look like that.”

THE BIG PICTURE

As for what’s next, Robinson is opening Every Now and Then midyear in a larger location. 

The inspiration for the concept ranges from Robinson’s time at Leaders 1354 to the barbershop experience, as well as the installations and events that Dover Street Market has mastered. Consumers, too, can expect a café inside. “I’m attracted to stores that are more than stores. The goal is to keep you [inside] for a couple hours. The least of my worries is to sell you clothes,” Robinson said. 

He also has big plans for his nonprofit arm, Community Goods, established in 2021. So far, he has built two incentive-based stores for students in Chicago schools: Suder Montessori Magnet School and Michele Clark Magnet High School. At least five more will open in schools across Chicago in the next year-and-a-half. What’s more, Robinson aims to expand Community Goods to the East Coast, primarily in Baltimore. “I’m at the stage of my career where if you want to work with me, we have to do something about community,” he said. “That’s a deal breaker.”