Edaire to Wear — Summer Intelligence Report

The Footwear Ecosystem Map

Oregon SPM · Global Impact Hubs · Accelerators · The Four Conversations

🔵 Knowledge Graph — Oregon Programs
Oregon SPM

Sports Product Management

18-month master's. The most industry-connected footwear program in the world. 90% of alumni at Nike, adidas, New Balance, Hoka, On Running.

  • Located inside "Silicon Valley of footwear" — 3,000+ companies, $29B output
  • Faculty: Ellen Schmidt-Devlin (27 yrs Nike), John Eberle (15 yrs Nike)
  • Innovation Lab — students design + build functional shoes
  • Sustainability integrated throughout curriculum

→ business.uoregon.edu/programs/spm
Oregon Design

Sports Product Design MS

2-year MS, Department of Product Design. Where SPM = business, this = hands-on making. Materials, manufacturing, biomechanics, prototyping.

  • 77 credits: 65% studio, 15% academic, biomechanics core
  • Industry partners as instructors: Nike, Under Armour, Logitech
  • STEM designation starting Fall 2026
  • Final project assessed on: innovation, fabrication, financial viability, user need

→ artdesign.uoregon.edu
🔴 Social Graph — Global Impact Hub Network
Barcelona ★ Top Pick

Impact Hub Barcelona

Coworking + consultancy for sustainable social/environmental innovation. Collaborates with OneCoWork. Fashion-adjacent creative ecosystem.

  • Close to Basque Country — Spain's historic footwear manufacturing heartland
  • EKOMODO (San Sebastian sustainable fashion startup) active in network
  • More English-language programming than Madrid
  • Walk in — do not cold email first

→ barcelona.impacthub.net
Amsterdam ★ Apply Now

Impact Hub Amsterdam — FABB

Hosts FABB: Fashion Accelerator for Better Business. The single highest-leverage program in the entire Impact Hub network for Rowan.

  • Expert guidance, 1:1 coaching, small cohort of sustainable fashion founders
  • Selected participants attend FREE
  • Connected to Fashion for Good + adidas accelerator network
  • Direct pipeline to Fashion for Good Scaling Programme

→ amsterdam.impacthub.net/program/fabb
🟢 Generative Graph — Accelerators & Competitions
$200K Prize

Global Fashion Agenda — Trailblazer

For companies under 5 yrs, under 10 employees, under €2M revenue. Rowan qualifies. Edaire to Wear directly addresses Closed-loop Pathways — one of three strategic priorities.

  • Up to $200,000 equity investment
  • Operational support from PDS Positive Materials
  • Showcase at Global Fashion Summit, Copenhagen
  • 2025 winner: Bloom Labs (fibrous protein → bioplastics) — Rowan's direct analog

→ globalfashionagenda.org/trailblazer
UK — June 2026

Fashion Accelerator (PVH + Dazed)

Third year of PVH Foundation programme targeting underrepresented founders. HR, strategy, branding, legal, retail, buying support over spring/summer.

  • Showcases at Graduate Fashion Week — 20,000+ industry attendees
  • 1:1 expert mentorship
  • Spring seminar series: sustainability, tech, buying, press
  • GFW 2026: June 15–18, Truman Brewery, London

→ graduatefashionfoundation.com

The Unit Economics of a $120 Shoe

Before you can identify your disruption point, you need to know exactly where the money flows. Validate or challenge these numbers through your summer conversations.

~15%
Raw Materials ($15–20)
~6%
Manufacturing Labor ($5–8)
~5%
Factory Overhead ($5–7)
~6%
Shipping + Duties ($5–8)
~46%
Retailer Markup (2x)

⚡ The key question: At what production volume does a biomaterial shoe hit cost parity with a petroleum sole? That number determines whether Edaire to Wear is D2C brand or B2B materials licensing play.

🔵 The Four Non-Negotiable Conversations
01

Factory Floor Manager

Spain or Portugal. In person.

"Where does your line break when you introduce a non-standard material?"
02

Sustainable Footwear Founder

Impact Hub network. Peer-to-peer.

"What did you wish you knew in year one that you know now?"
03

Materials Supplier

Oregon or Impact Hub connections.

"What is the minimum order quantity for a novel biomaterial sole?"
04

Buddy Teaster — Soles4Souls

Nashville. Via Mario. Before you leave.

"What is the biggest supply chain problem you see in donated footwear?"

Tier 1 — Do These First

Location Verdict: Barcelona > Madrid

Basque Country footwear heritage + Impact Hub Barcelona creative ecosystem + FABB Amsterdam (easy day-trip distance) = the tightest geographic cluster of relevant intelligence for Rowan's mission. Madrid is a business capital. Barcelona is a maker city.