Paoli native Darrell Alston goes after what he wants, even if it doesn’t work out the first time. He’s the founder of the renowned sneaker and apparel company Bungee Obleceni, and the first Philadelphia-area designer to launch his sneakers at Foot Locker, writes Melissa Jacobs for Main Line Tonight.  

He gets exposure from department stores across the country who want to carry his brand, and his shoes are worn by celebrities such as the rapper Ludacris and SNL’s Keenan Thompson.  

That’s why when Alston received an e-mail from a Neiman Marcus buyer telling him that he didn’t think his sneakers fit their brand, the next thing he did was hop on a plane to Dallas. Alston wanted to convince the buyer that his shoes in fact were on par with the caliber of Neiman Marcus.  

In Dallas, Alston worked his magic and convinced the buyer so much that he now has two week sales event at the brand’s store in King of Prussia Mall. The event will be from April 6–16 and attendees can get VIP styling appointments with Alston himself.  

The Conestoga High School grad was not always living a life of glamour. In fact, the idea for Bungee was born in a jail cell. After Alston was released, he was able to put his plan into action.  

But what he really cares about is making sure that he can educate others. He’s given lectures at local high schools, U-Penn and Penn State University. He was also entrepreneur-in-residence at Penn State, and he’s set to launch Bungee University, a series of Zoom lectures on sneaker design, on Apr. 19.  

Read more about the Paoli native’s future plans for his brand in Main Line Tonight.  

The Today show interviews Darrell Alston about his career journey.