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Marikita Miler
Marikita Miler
00:50

Marikita Miler

Ki-netics Lab

Oxon Hill, MD USA

"The love of what you do is what carries you through."

Career Roadmap

Marikita's work combines: Design, Fashion, and Being Creative

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Day In The Life

Owner & Designer

I’m a technical shoe designer and design educator.

02:25

Day In The Life Of A Shoe Designer

My Day to Day

Most days, I’m in my lab running Thread and Sole, a sneaker and apparel customization space. I wear all the hats: handling finances, managing the store, and designing new products. I also spend time teaching others. I love seeing people light up as they learn a new skill, express themselves, and create something unique. This space is about more than sneakers—it’s about growth, confidence, and creativity. When things get overwhelming, I step outside, take a breath, and start fresh the next day.

Skills & Education

Advice for getting started

I'd recommend looking into internships in fashion and shoe design. There is a lot of technical knowledge to be learned. Look into internships in both retail spaces and design firms.

Here's the path I took:

  • High School

  • Bachelor's Degree

    Fashion and Shoe Design

Learn more about different paths to this career

Life & Career Milestones

My path in life has been direct

  • 1.

    When I was 12, I watched a friend sketch a sneaker, and at that moment, I knew I wanted to become a shoe designer.

  • 2.

    I studied shoe and fashion design in college despite being told only one of us would make it in the industry.

  • 3.

    I worked as an assistant designer and then left the corporate world to carve my path in footwear and fashion.

  • 4.

    Teaching shoe design in New York City public schools opened my eyes to the power of mentorship and giving back.

  • 5.

    I launched Thread and Soul, a sneaker and apparel customization lab, to fuse creativity with entrepreneurship.

  • 6.

    Seeing a pair of heels I designed featured in a subway ad and on a New York City bus was an unforgettable career highlight.

  • 7.

    Financial literacy became a passion of mine, leading me to create Footwear and Finance, a program that blends creativity with money management.

  • 8.

    I built a creative safe space where locals and tourists alike can design and customize their footwear.

Defining Moments

How I responded to discouragement

  • THE NOISE

    Messages from Teachers:

    Only one of you is going to succeed in fashion design.

  • How I responded:

    When I first went to college for fashion design, we were told that only one of us out of the whole graduating class was going to make it. But I decided not to let that discourage me. I kept pursuing fashion and shoe design, and eventually carved out a successful path for myself.

Experiences and challenges that shaped me

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  • As a woman of color, you have to work 10 times as hard just to accomplish the same things or make the same amount of money as your peers. I experienced this most in the corporate design world, which pushed me to leave and create my own design space.

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