In June, YMCA USA held their 5th annual Changemakers Summit. The 3 day event offers rising 10th–12th graders the chance to present a project idea that addresses an important issue or need in their hometown.

Michael Fletcher participated in the opening night of the summit by providing a keynote speech and facilitating a sneaker customization workshop. Each student was given a free pair of all white Nike Air Force Ones to create their own wearable art. Some students used their shoe designs as an additional way to tell stories related to their project proposal.

91 students from across the country walked into the room with a blank pair of Air Force 1s. They left with something much bigger than custom sneakers-they left wearing their stories, ideas, and the impact they want to make in their communities.

This is why we do what we do.

Design isn't just about making things look good. It's a way to build confidence, communicate ideas, and help young people see that their creativity has value.

Photo courtesy of by YMCA USA

EVERYDAY MONUMENTS by Mike Fletcher

Art didn't stay on the wall... it moved.

Shoutout to the students who showed up and created.

Shoutout to the parents who made space for it.

Shoutout to Virginia Moca for letting us take over.

Gallery → sketch → real, wearable product.

Monuments don't have to sit still.

They can live on your feet.

This is bigger than sneakers.

This is process, confidence, and ownership-real time.

We're just getting started.

🎥 Tristan Langhorne

Opening weekend with Michael Fletcher at YMCA of Greater Richmond:

Students took a blank pair of sneakers and turned them into personal statements — telling stories about identity, culture, pressure, and the choices that shape their lives.

Design became the language. Creativity became the outlet.

This is what happens when young people are given space to imagine, create, and build something that represents them.

More labs. More cities. More stories to tell.

[Via @OurOwn Instagram]

With NBA All-Star Weekend taking over the city, we stayed intentional about creating space for the youth.

In partnership with Mike Fletcher and @odysee.ed, we brought Mood Lab to students in Inglewood for a hands-on workshop focused on color theory, design, and creative expression. Each student tapped into their creativity to design their own one-of-one custom Converse Chuck Taylors, fully immersing themselves in the process and bringing their ideas to life.

Moments like this matters because creativity gives young people a safe, empowering outlet to express emotions, build confidence, discover their voice, and see tangible pathways into future opportunities.

@porterhousela

Congratulations to Michael Fletcher who partnered with the Los Angeles Rams to design content for the team’s ‘Setting the Standard’ Campaign to celebrate Black History Month.

Read more info here: https://www.therams.com/news/2026-black-history-month-page-meet-the-artist-michael-fletcher

Mike Fletcher has two pieces featured in ‘Where We Meet’ at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art. The exhibit celebrates the creative voices of the region and marks the final show in Virginia MOCA’s current building before the museum transitions to a new facility in early 2026.

Mike Fletcher brought sneaker customization to the Nike Yardrunners activation to commemorate the Norfolk State University Colorway of the Nike Air Max 95. Shoutout to Snipes and the team at League Twenty Two.

Quick trip to Detroit to support our guy Mike Fletcher. He was presented with this year’s Educator Award at The Black Footwear Forum. Shoutout to Dr. D’Wayne Edwards, PLC Detroit, and the whole BFF team for the hospitality and putting together such a dope event for the culture.

FROM FOXXTECCA’S INSTAGRAM:

Foxxtecca's Torque & Tread Sneaker Lab presented by Odysee in partnership with Footlocker at Cars, Kicks & Culture 2025.

This wasn't just an art project, it was inspiration and action in motion. Detroit students got hands-on experience remixing the iconic Nike Air Force 1s using DipYourCar paint, the same technology automotive enthusiasts use to transform the colors of their cars affordably and creatively. Each pair the students made became a reflection of mobility, creativity and identity.

The charms they added to the sneakers were inspired by items in the automotive world (gas cans, formula 1 steering wheels), and the Foxxtecca brand, symbolizing how automotive design and sneaker culture share the same DNA of creativity, expression, and engineering.

Huge shout out to Don Dudley and the Foot Locker LEED Program for helping make this possible, and to Mike Fletcher & for guiding the next generation of designers.

We at Foxxtecca are unapologetic about putting design and art in front of inner-city students, because creativity is technology, and STEAM Education is more than textbooks. When you give young people the tools, they don't just paint shoes, they redefine what's possible

Mike Fletcher participated in the Monster Drawing Rally a high-energy, live art-making event and fundraiser hosted by Generation MOCA, Virginia MOCA’s young leaders’ advisory council.