On Friday afternoon, a group of students will gather in Pioneer Courthouse Square for a competition worthy of reality television but with a Portland twist: Design a sneaker in front of a live audience.

The grand prize? The winner’s design will get manufactured by Hilos, a Portland company that makes 3D-printed shoes.

The design contest comes at the start of Sneaker Week, an annual celebration of Portland’s place at the heart of the sneaker business, and one that’s expanding this year to all four quadrants of the city.

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