Bought on a feeling: A-Feeling x Saucony ProGrid Paramount

Drew White's new label A-Feeling made its debut this summer with the A-Feeling x Saucony ProGrid Paramount "The Science of WOW!" It launched in Rhode Island on June 26, 2026, then online on June 28 and worldwide on July 2. What set it apart is that people bought it before they had seen it. We look back at the designer behind it, from a Boston shop floor to his own studio.

The Paramount is a mid-2000s Saucony runner that carries no river logo on its side. White liked that, because it forced the design to stand on its own. His version layers a gray mesh base with bright green wave graphics, olive overlays, and deep purple and orange accents. On the medial side, an uninterrupted open mesh panel quietly breaks the model's usual look.

The name comes straight from Saucony's archive. In the early '90s, the brand sold its new Grid cushioning as "the Science of WOW!" White carried that line onto the packaging and added a Three Rivers hangtag. "The expression of WOW is something that is universally understood across languages," he said. He wanted a shoe that feels expressive without needing translation.

White's story starts at Bodega, the Boston store he joined as a marketing intern in December 2010. Over 14 years he moved through social media, PR, and production. From 2018 he led all of the shop's private label and collaboration design. His first footwear lead was the New Balance 997S "No Days Off," and more than two dozen Bodega collaborations followed.

Saucony was a constant partner along the way. The Bodega x Saucony Grid Azura 2000 "Ever Ready," released in April 2020, is still one of White's favorites. He rebuilt the lightweight runner in suede and pebbled leather, kept its transparent mesh windows, and used around 15 colors. A matching hoodie and track pants turned the shoe into part of a complete system.

Kids of Immigrants gave White his first independent project, the Nike Air Max Sunder, which he designed with his friends Abhi and Danny. He later contributed to the Kids of Immigrants x Nike T90 Mule, unveiled in May 2026. That shoe turned the Total 90 football silhouette into a backless mule. It came in khaki suede and olive leather, with cork insoles embossed with the KOI logo.

All of that history explains the launch. A-Feeling opened sales on its website with only a heavily pixelated image of the shoe and a $185 price. The window closed on June 13, 2026, and the full design appeared a few days later. Buyers had committed on trust and on a feeling, which is exactly what the label's name promises.

The blind sale reversed the usual cycle of leaks, countdowns, and teasers. White said he wanted to restore a feeling, launch unexpectedly, and challenge the current state of footwear. His process is just as deliberate. He often uses a dozen or more close tonal shades on one shoe and writes the story only after the design is right. "I've never bought something just because of the story, if it didn't look good, I'm not buying it," he once said.

Away from footwear, White co-founded Feels Like Home with Mike Janey, Abhi Chandra, and Sam Del Pilar. The book gives under-represented creatives from the Northeast a place in print, and one edition gathered more than 40 contributors. Volume III is due later this year. White also designs album art for Boston artists such as Cousin Stizz, and he hopes to open his own shop one day.

Drew White's work is a reminder that a sneaker can carry a whole point of view, from the archive it borrows to the way it reaches people. You can explore the rest of the Saucony range, ProGrid Paramount included, online and at our Madrid store, Calle Fortuny 51. For another creator whose process matters as much as the object, read our story on Tom Sachs x NikeCraft GPS "Demerits". We will keep following whatever White makes next.