James Arizumi

Raised barefoot in the sunshine state of Hawai’i, James left the islands in the pursuit of a dream that was yet to unfold. It was in California where he graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture at tender age of 22 that he found his calling in design. Architecture created the foundation for his thought process, aesthetics, and creative approach to design. His first year out of college, he began work on one of the biggest projects in the city, The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles. In 1999 James was invited to join creative team at Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills as a Visual Display Designer. It was here, amongst the Haute Couture garments, luxury footwear, and home furnishing created by the titans of Fashion and Design, where James discovered his passion for product design, inspiring him to leave it all behind, start all over and move across the country to New York City to earn his Masters in Industrial Design in 2002.

It was here in New York where James was recruited to work for Clae and Lakai Footwear where he honed his skills designing footwear for some of the biggest names in Skateboarding. It was because of this experience that he was recruited by one of the biggest footwear companies, Nike. He was the former Global Design Director at Nike SB and was there for almost a decade helping create the magic that has defined a generation. From the early inception of the brand, to the cultural and performance powerhouse that it is today James has been there to lead the way lending creative vision, strategy, and design. The business has grown from a million dollar organization to a multi-million dollar juggernaut, winning numerous industry awards, best selling industry defining footwear, and numerous patents.

Recently James was tapped on the shoulder to bring this youthful and innovative approach to Nike Golf where the potential to grow and influence the sport is immeasurable.