The sneaker industry evolved throughout the years to become more inclusive. What started as a man’s game became everyone’s game, and any sneakerhead is welcome. But, what are brands really doing to embrace female sneakerheads? We’re gonna find that out today! Moreover, we’re gonna discuss the first book for ladies who identify as sneakerheads. So if you ever felt like you weren’t part of the community, here are all the reasons you are!
Sheryl Swoopes – A Name Female Sneakerheads Should Know!
Well, to be honest, that’s a name all sneakerheads and basketball fans should know. Anyway, the year is 1996, and the NBA founded the WNBA, the women’s professional basketball league. And of course, you gotta recruit players to start teams. So one of the names was Sheryl Swoopes who was already a prominent name in collegiate basketball. And when official WNBA play started in 1997, Swoopes was with the Seattle Comets when they won the title!
Fun fact: Sheryl Swoopes went back to the league only six weeks after giving birth to her son. If you wanna read more about it here, check this out.
Now enough with the trivia and down to the kicks. In 1995, Nike approached Sheryl Swoopes and had a discussion with her about sneakers. She filled out a questionnaire (still in Nike’s archives) about the sport and more. And finally, the Swoosh told her that they wanna give her a signature sneaker: the Nike Air Swoopes! What made that deal even sweeter is that the brain behind the design is a female designer: Marni Gerber. So these kicks are from the ladies for the ladies! Another fun fact: The Air Swoopes is the first WNBA signature sneakers to get a retro.
All the Ladies Tell the Fellas We Can Do What They Can Do!
We’re not gonna get into a whole lot of details, but we’re here to show you that when the ladies collaborate, they do it right! Although the first women-specific sneakers came out in 1982, female sneakerheads were a tiny part of the sneaker industry for a long time. However, with fashion, sports, and sneakers blurring the lines, the fanbase grew. More girls are getting into sports and design fields, so it makes sense for the sneaker industry to follow suit.
You see, sneakers became more than just a pair of shoes. They became a story that you can tell and immortalize with materials and colors. The biggest example is, of course, the Jordan legacy! So now, we’re gonna take a look at some of the coolest female sneakers collabs. Shall we?
Female Sneakerheads, Designers, and Collabs!
We gotta start off by saying that this list is just a general pass-through. We need a whole lot more than a couple of paragraphs to talk about awesome sneaker collabs by female celebrities. So we went with a few names that definitely left their mark on the industry regardless of gender! First, we have Melody Ehsani, who certainly gave us an Air Jordan 1 Mid to remember among other releases. In fact, it’s one of the most valuable women-exclusive Jordan 1s at a whopping $1,178 on average.
Next up, we got Chitose Abe and her Sacai brand. The designer’s main goal was to give women the comfort of streetwear while still looking dapper. And that, she did, or else she wouldn’t be giving us all these Nike collabs. If you never caught any of her previous works, the upcoming Nike Sacai Cortez is a good start!
The third name on our list is Aleali May, a model, fashion blogger, and sneaker designer! And she definitely is successful since she caught the attention of Jordan Brand. If you wanna know more about her Jordan collaborations, check this out. Next up, we have Serena Williams, because athletes are an integral part of the sneaker industry.
Music and Sneakers Come Together!
Finally, we’ve got some awesome collaborations between celebrities and sneaker brands. We got Beyoncé’s Ivy Park x Adidas, which goes beyond just sneakers. Puma also managed to snag a collab with Dua Lipa, who’s a vocal activist when it comes to women in sports. And finally, we got Cardi B with her extravagant Reebok collab, just like everything she does!
She Kicks – A Book About Female Sneakerheads
You see, everything we discussed is just a tiny part of the impact women had on the sneaker industry. But luckily, Nav Gill, a sneakerhead and former Hypebae editor, got a bright idea. Along with the content creator Sanne Poeze, they made She Kicks. She Kicks is a book about all the women who worked hard to break through a male-dominated industry. Many of those never took credit for their work, but now they will. In the book, you’ll find interviews with female execs in big brands like Nike, Adidas, StockX, and more.
What makes it even better is that it’s gonna be interactive, not just on paper. For example, you’ll be able to scan a page on your phone and that will take you to a related website. If not a website, it’ll take you to videos about the topic or even giveaways. And guess what, it can even take you to a place where you can purchase NFTs! So it’s a really immersive experience if you ask us.
Where Can You Get the Book?
“She Kicks” dropped on December 1, 2022, for $95, and you can still have your copy here. And if you wanna dig deeper into the sneaker industry, this is a list of must-reads for every sneakerhead. But if you wanna focus on the future instead of the past, you’ll wanna stay in the loop of sneaker drops. That’s where our blog comes in because we’ll make sure you’ll stay in the sneaker release and botting loop! Godspeed
