SNEAK SNEAK SNEAK SNEAK SNEAK SNEAK SNEAK SNEAK SNEAK SNEAK SNEAK
HEADS HEADS HEADS HEADS HEADS HEADS HEADS HEADS HEADS HEADS HEADS 1
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Dedicated to my parents.
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CONT 4
TENTS 5
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FOREWORD SNEAKER TIMELINE: A BRIEF HISTORY FEMALE SNEAKERHEAD INTERVIEWS
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MICHELLE SIMAN
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ANNA BEDIONES
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RUBY BENSON
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90
MARY YOUNG
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ZOË GEORGE
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136 140 142
JOSEPHINE CRUZ
KATHERINE JOHNSEN
GLOSSARY OF SNEAKER TERMS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS NOTES & SOURCES 7
FOREW 8
WORD 9
WHAT’S WRONG? I’M SPEAKING GENDER POLITICS 10
MY THOUGHTS ON THE MALE-DOMINATED SNEAKER INDUSTRY If you’re a fan of sneakers (or even if
Because
sneaker
collections
are
(for
you’re not), you’ve probably heard of names
the most part) designed by men, the shoes
such as Tinker Hatfield, Ronnie Fieg, and
inherently cater to larger feet. The female
Jason Petrie. All hugely influential sneaker
market provides little diversity in product,
designers–all male. Female designers such as
size runs and colourways and overall, a lack
Sophia Chang and Melody Ehsani are gaining
of female footwear designers. Brands will
notoriety but continue to take a back seat
often launch designs for women created by
to men . This is one of the major issues
men with what they think we want to wear,
I
which usually follows the common “pink it or
4
have
with
through
the
extensive
industry.
Additionally, found
shrink it” effect. Not all women want to be
that the exclusion of women from sneaker
research,
I’ve
wearing pink sneakers, so many will reach to
culture is actually a reflection of greater
the kids shelves for their favourite releases
societal norms. These norms are rooted in
when they don’t come in smaller sizes.
the historical origins of sneakers and how women were regarded in society at the time. Sneakers originated as a purely functional object
in
the
sports
world
during
Growing up in the 90s and early 2000s, I
recognized
that
street
and
sneaker
culture was a very male-dominated space. In
late
advertising, the only time I would see women
19th century Victorian Britain through the
at the forefront is when they were posing
popular game of lawn tennis1. Victorian women
half naked next to the sneakers or being
were expected to show restraint and exhibit
juxtaposed in a pair of heels standing next
“ladylike” behaviour in all aspects of their
to a man wearing sneakers. So, this begs the
lives, especially while playing sports. Men
question, what can we do to challenge this
on the other hand, were regarded as strong
male-dominated industry?
and athletic beings, free to express their
I constantly find myself being inspired
aggression and agility. It’s not surprising
by
that Victorian footwear was gendered, some
on social platforms who are voicing their
models
even
stories and opinions online. So, why not take
included a small heel, making females much
this and translate it to sneakers? Through
less mobile than their male counterparts .
this body of work, my goal is to inspire
of
early
women’s
sneakers
1
confident,
stylish
and
creative
women
A century later, athletic footwear gained
more women and femme-identifying people to
popularity as a fashion commodity during the
participate in the streetwear community and
1980’s from the Hip Hop scene in New York
in sneaker culture. I want to break females
City . In present day, they transcend all
free from common representations as overtly-
boundaries of the modern street style world
sexualized objects without repressing their
and are even breaking into the luxury market.
sexualities. I hope to create a powerful
Everyone
shift
3
from
athletes
to
celebrities
to
and
a
conversation
that
encourages
Wall Street Bankers to teenagers are finding
women to express themselves through their
ways to incorporate this staple into their
footwear
wardrobe.
would like to make some tiny contribution
and
fashion
choices.
Overall,
I
to moving the industry in a more inclusive
3 4 11
direction.
SNEAKER 12
TIMELINE 13
THE MOST INFLUENTIAL SNEAKERS
THROUGH HISTORY 14
D
uring the 1840s, a chemical process of converting natural rubber into a durable material by heating and mixing the polymers with Sulfur was discovered; this method became known as “vulcanization”1. The vulcanization of rubber was formulated by Charles Goodyear in America and Thomas Hannock in England1. Shortly after this process was invented, rubber-soled shoes for the widely popular game of lawn-tennis were manufactured and sold all throughout Great Britain. The sneaker’s ancestral origins of 19th century England positioned the shoe as a symbol of hegemonic masculinity due to the nature of the lawn-tennis game and of the Patriarchal Victorian society as a whole1. Almost one hundred years after lawn tennis shoes were invented, footwear designers began to question how they could improve an athlete’s performance by what they wore on their feet. Tinker Hatfield, an architect from Oregon turned Nike shoe designer, was one of the first to work with athletes in order to maximize wearability, comfort and improved overall performance during the 1980s2. At around the same time, sneakers were emerging onto the hip hop scene in New York City. The birth of this once underground street subculture is rooted in the underprivileged neighbourhoods of the Bronx3. Marginalized youth groups tied their sense of style to the four elements of hip hop culture: graffiti, b-boying, DJing and MCing3. This chapter illustrates a brief history of the sneaker by highlighting some of the most notable styles from the early 20th century to present day. From functionality to fashion – the sneaker has proven to be one of the most versatile pieces of clothing of all time. Many retro styles can still be seen in mainstream casual fashion and crossing over to high-end luxury fashion of today. This indicates how truly impactful the sneaker phenomenon has been on our society.
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CONVERSE CHUCK TAYLOR ALL STAR The infamous All Star got its start in 1917, when the Converse Rubber Shoe Company released its new indoor gym shoe. Brown canvas models were the first of the All Star line to be sold, however when basketball coach,
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Chuck Taylor started working for Converse in the 1920s and by 1934 his name was added to the famous Converse All Star and the sneaker was redesigned in various colours.4
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ADIDAS STAN SMITH The Stan Smith was first created for French tennis player Robert Haillet in 1964 and would go on to become one of the most popular models for contemporary consumers. Restricted to the all-white rules for tennis, the brand had to look for subtle methods of embellishment. Colour was kept to a minimum with the green felt tab on the heel and Adidas’s iconic three stripes were rendered in perforated holes to increase breathability.4
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ADIDAS SUPERSTAR The Adidas Superstar was the first low-cut leather basketball shoe. Its distinctive toe gained the nickname of Shell Toe. The entry of the German brand into the basketball market signaled a shift in the sneaker industry, where performance shoes were no longer predominantly American. Superstars are always
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white, but over the years the stripes and heel tabs have been offered in various colours.4
1972
NIKE CORTEZ The Cortez was Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight’s debut shoe for their independent brand name Nike. The lightweight running shoe was just the beginning for the iconic brand that was named ofter the ancient Greek winged goddess of victory.4
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NIKE WAFFLE TRAINER Nike founder, Bill Bowerman had a desire to create lightweight running shoes. In 1965 he collaborated with Jeff Johnson on a shoe that was inspired by his wife’s waffle maker. The model became revolutionary to the running shoe when Bill discovered that he could create soles that used less material yet
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featured durable treads.4
1985
NIKE AIR JORDAN 1 In 1984, Nike began making sneakers for the Chicago Bulls gifted rookie, Michael Jordan. However, the NBA did not allow colourful sneakers to be worn, so each time Jordan defiance of the rules combined with his athletic prowess transformed his footwear into icons. The controversy fueled fans’ desire for the shoes, so in 1985 the first Air Jordans were released.4
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NIKE AIR MAX 1 In 1987, a visit to the Georges Pompidou Centre in Paris inspired Tinker Hatfield’s project for Nike, the Air Max 1. The Centre Pompidou was designed with its inner workings including pipes, escalators, ducts and steel framework placed on the outside and the very first Air Max shoe based on the same principle. He
1987
put an air window in the sole of the shoe to expose its airbag technology on the exterior. The Air Max 1 was unlike any other shoe of its day.2
1988
NIKE AIR JORDAN III The Air Jordan III was Tinker Hatfield’s first Air Jordan design and still remains one of the most popular models. The elephant-print soft leather was created to meet Michael Jordan’s desire for a shoe that felt immediately broken-in as he typically wore a new pair of sneakers for every game. It was also the first Jordan sneaker to feature the now iconic Jumpman logo.4
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NIKE HUARACHE This unconventional shoe was designed by none other than Tinker Hatfield who got inspiration from a water ski trip to play a visible neoprene strip on the shoe. This was Nike’s first sneaker without a structured heel, instead a rubber strap was implemented to support the achilles. The name Huarache
1991
was derived from Mexican sandals. The shoe was later developed into a high-top for basketball and popularized by Kobe Bryant. This is one of the few Nike models to not feature the signature swoosh.5
2004
COMMON PROJECTS The ‘Achilles’ is a low top leather sneaker that launched in white, grey and black in 2004. This sleek silhouette was created by Peter Poopat and Flavio Girolami in order to bridge a gap they identified in the luxury footwear market. As their tastes evolved, neither of them could find a sneaker with a more refined, minimalistic aesthetic at high-end quality. Each shoe has a numerical identifier corresponding to its style number and European size.7
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YEEZY 350 BOOST The 350 Boost is just one model of Kanye West x Adidas ‘Yeezy’ line. Other styles include the highly popular 750 Boost and the 950 Boost, which was inspired by a classic duck boot silhouette.6
2015
2017
NIKE AIR PRESTO X OFF WHITE In 2017, Virgil Abloh took on a project that’s one of his biggest yet: the Off-White x Nike “The Ten”. He dug up 10 shoes from Nike’s archives, and sought to redesign them. The Presto came out in the year 2000, originally marketed as a “Tshirt for the foot”, they originally came in sizes of XS to XL; it didn’t comply with the traditional footwear sizing system. It’s designed like a sock to provide maximum flexibility.8
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TORONTO’S SNEAK FOR THEIR THE 22
SEVEN ERHEADS INDUSTRY 23
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Michelle is a Toronto-based creative who founded her own podcast called Lemon Water. Lemon Water is her auditory journal where she connects style, wellness and community to unite her utmost passions with the goal of creating an empowered community. Michelle talks about finding her love for sneakers at a very young age when all of her closest friends growing up were boys. She’s all about maintaining the comfort factor when it comes to styling her sneakers Michelle’s website is: itslemonwater.com and you can find her on instagram at @simansays and @itslemonwater.
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MICHELLE SIMAN
“GROWING UP, IN EARLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, ALL MY FRIENDS WERE BOYS. I DIDN’T REALLY HAVE A GROUP OF GIRLFRIENDS WHEN I WAS YOUNGER. SO NATURALLY BY ONLY BEING FRIENDS WITH BOYS, I GRAVITATED TOWARDS THEIR FASHION SENSE.”
I
ntroduce yourself ! Who are you? And what do you do? My name is Michelle. I am the host and creator of the Lemon Water Podcast, and I run the site itslemonwater.com. My 9-5 is a beauty and wellness company. Your podcast encompasses style, passions, wellness and community. How do you feel Lemon Water Podcast empowers women? I don’t necessarily say the goal is to empower women. I think of it as a way to express my individuality and creativity along with the women I sit down with. The health and wellness industry is so saturated, I would I wanted to showcase a more creative outlook than what is out there and what I like in terms of beauty and wellness. When did your love for sneakers start? Did any particular person or experience influence you? Growing up, in early elementary school, all my friends were boys. I didn’t really have a group of girlfriends when I was younger. So naturally, by only being friends with boys, I gravitated towards their fashion sense – whether it was sneakers or grey sweatpants and a sweatshirt. I don’t like saying I was a tomboy because I never played sports but in terms of the TV, I used to watch Dragon Ball Z, Pokemon and being into stuff that was never pink or girly. It was really just me being one of the guys at such a young age. I remember when I was in the 3rd grade, me and my best friend, who was a guy would swap our sneakers in the middle of the day. Do you remember what your first pair of sneakers was?
Yes! I actually do remember the first pair and it was a girly pair because I was under my mom’s influence. It was the Sketchers, do you remember the navy blue ones and the hot pink bubbles?––that was the first pair. And then for my second pair, I remember really wanting the Adidas Superstars but we couldn’t afford them at the time so my mom got me the Payless knockoffs. I remember after that, I got the Air Force 1 Lows in the white and baby blue. Oh! And Iversons, I had the White Iverson’s–they were a basketball shoe but I never played basketball. What is your go-to pair of sneakers? One that I wear everyday? Yes, an everyday pair It would probably be the Reebok Club C 85s. I wish I had them in other colours because they are white and they always get dirty but that shoe is my ideal go-to pair. Because they’re so classic? They’re just so classic and basic and they go with everything. Would you say you wear sneakers more for function or for fashion? Comfort and style together. I never cared to have a pair of sneakers that I could work out in, it’s always been about comfort and wearing everyday more for lifestyle. My foot doesn’t know how to wear fancy shoes. Do you feel there is a disparity between women and men in sneaker culture? Do you feel that men are better represented? Way back when yes, however now we’re making a lot of changes. It just goes to show for sizing and new releases that
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MICHELLE SIMAN
come out, the colourways have been something we’ve always had to deal with but for me not as much because I have small feet, so I can fit a little boys shoe. But I think if you’re a size 7.5 women’s, you do fall under the size 5 for men’s so you can still get it, however it is more exclusive as opposed to if you’re equivalent to a size 8 men’s that’s the most popular size, you can pretty much get any sneaker at any time. Even a pair of Yeezys are cheaper at a size 8 than a size 5 or 4 for example. What is one shoe release that you wish came in women’s size runs? There is one shoe that I’m absolutely obsessed with, it was a recent launch – the Nikecraft x Tom Sachs Mars Yard 2.0. They only start at a size 6 and I would need a size 4.
Are there certain colourways that you’re drawn to? YES. I love red detailing, I like dark green detailing and of course sometimes I stick to the basics with monochrome white or black. Even a bit of yellow. Do you have any advice for styling your sneakers? For me it’s about personal preference. For instance, I don’t like the look of tight jeans and a sneaker that makes me look bigger. I love more loose fitting clothing paired with sneakers and I’m so into the old grandpa sneaker right now. If I can get away with wearing baggy sweatpants and that, it gives me life. But it’s all about what makes me feel comfortable. My perfect, ideal outfit would include a pair of Jordan 1 Chicago’s, with a pair of light boyfriend denim, a white tshirt and a black blazer and a nice belt–for me that’s the most perfect outfit a girl could wear.
“SNEAKERS REFLECT MY MOOD. I KNOW A LOT OF GIRLS WHO SAY THAT WHEN THEY WEAR LIPSTICK, THEY FEEL MORE PUT TOGETHER. FOR ME, THAT’S WHAT SNEAKERS DO.”
Who is your favourite footwear brand? It always changes for me, at the start of 2014 to 2015, Adidas was my go-to for everything in terms of clothing and shoes. I still go for the Gazelle’s. For me I think when something becomes too mainstream I start hating it. But I think that Nike does a really good job at staying relevant between Nike Sportswear, Nike Running, and Nikelab–there’s always a variety so you’re not restricted to a certain type of style. A go-to, if I could one of every colour of Vans I would, I think it’s super easy.
How does wearing a pair of sneakers reflect your unique style? I definitely think sneakers reflect my mood. If you think about it, I know a lot of girls say when I wear lipstick, I feel more put together. For me, that’s sneakers. When I have the perfect sneaker on, that’s when I feel put together. It’s a different mood when I’m wearing a pair of older Gazelle’s or a pair of older Vans as opposed to if I’m wearing my Uptempos or a brand new sneaker that hasn’t been worn, it definitely changes the mood for me and it uplifts me. For me a brand new sneaker is the start of a brand new mood.
What does feminism mean to you? Unity, and support.
Dream shoe? The one shoe that I would probably give insane amounts of money for is the Off-White Jordan 1 Chicago’s. You know my size is going for three grand? Or $3500. That is one shoe that I would put in a glass box. However, I just want to add that I don’t back when people don’t wear their sneakers, I don’t think it should be something so sacred. I think that it is a representation of your style and I think they are meant to be worn and appreciated because if you don’t, someone else will. If there were any sneakers you could have, what would be your top 5? Jjjjound x Vans collab in “forest green” The Nikelab Air Force 1 “Vachetta Tan” The Off-White Jordan 1 Chicago’s All black COMME des GARÇONS Vapormax And the Yeezy Boost 700 Waverunner – I would wear them with jeans everyday if I could. I NEED that sneaker!
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MICHELLE SIMAN
Okay, last question: many sneakers which are catered towards women often use pink or more stereotypically “girly� colours. Are there certain colourways you are drawn to? YES! I love red detailing, dark green detailing. I like to stick to the basics grey or black. Even yellows I like some colour in the fine details.
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RUBY BENSON Ruby is a blogger, digital content creator and model all wrapped into one creative woman. As someone who was born and raised in Toronto, she has made a name for herself in the city she loves most. Known for her edgy, yet effortless style and authentic attitude, she has gained a loyal Instagram following of both men and women in recent years. Ruby uses her platform as a voice for millenials who are navigating their way through life and social media much like herself. She discusses getting into sneakers from a very young age as well as her key to being successful in today’s digital world. You can find Ruby on her website at ragsandruby.com and on Instagram at @ragsxruby.
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RUBY BENSON
H
ello and thank you for joining me! Tell us about yourself ! Who are you and what do you do? Hi! I’m Ruby and I’m a content creator and model.
What does feminism mean to you? I mean it’s such a broad spectrum of things but I think of empowerment and equality more than anything. I think a lot of people have a wrong sense in their head of what it means. People think its man-hating when really it’s just equality of the sexes, we’re not asking for more. Also I feel like, from women to women it’s about raising each other up and not leaving any groups out. I think it is all women’s duties to make sure that a) all women are treated equally and b) that men and women are treated equally. How would you describe your personal style? My style is ever-changing - it changes a lot depending on my mood, depending on where I am in my life. How I dressed as a 15 year old is very different from how I dress now. I guess if I had to narrow it down I would say it’s weird, vintage, casual and sporty. Okay so, when did your love for sneakers start? My parents put me in sneakers when I was a baby - my first pair of shoes were Chuck Taylors. My parents were super hipster so when I look back at my baby pictures every single pair of shoe I wore were either Doc Martin or Chuck Taylor. So, I mean I was a pretty stylish baby. When I was dressing myself though, it definitely grew the most when I was in high school or maybe a little bit before that in grade 7 or 8. What is your go-to brand and pair of sneakers? In terms of brands, I’m really not so loyal - I love all of them for their own different qualities. I’ve had my Jordan 1’s for a while so that pair is my go-to if I want to feel fly. But good go-to for me is an all white pair of sneakers, like my Air Max’s, I love them. I think it’s really easy to style them with any outfit.
Do you feel there is a gap between women and men in sneaker culture? Do you feel that men are better represented in this industry? Oh yeah! I worked at Complex for a while so this was talked about a lot. I would always complain about this because I’m a size 8 in women’s which translates to a 6.5 men’s and I mostly like men’s colourways. Many of the womens’ colourways are restricted to pinks and purples with sparkles or made from materials like satin - I mean, I like the colour pink but not every girl wants to be wearing pink and sparkly shoes. It’s really difficult for women to find their size in men’s shoes unless you have bigger feet. You can buy junior shoes, which is what I do a lot of the time but even then, the soles are different and the shoe looks slightly different. So overall, I think there has been advances for the women’s sneaker industry with stores like Women’s Kith opening and more female-targeted sneaker shops but at the end of the day it comes down to the product that brands are producing and it’s not so much about the sneaker shops. I also feel like there is for sure a gap between what women want and what is actually available. Are there certain colourways that you’re drawn to? I like all white. Especially all white styles with a retro-looking body, for example the Huaraches, the Adidas Gazelles I just got. I also love reds obviously, with my Chicago’s and I’m learning to like green! My Air Max’s have a little bit of neon green and the Tyler, the Creator x Converse collab. Is there a men’s release that you wish came in women’s sizes? I mean, my Jordan 1’s are youth and they have a different sole than men’s shoes and I don’t like the sole in mine as much as I like the men’s and those never came in women’s sizes. But I can’t think of any specific shoe that I haven’t found in youth. Do you have a dream shoe? I feel like when I was younger, I had a whole list of dream
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people - I love all of them for their own different qualities.”
“In terms of brands, I’m really not as loyal compared to some
RUBY BENSON
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RUBY BENSON
“My parents put me in sneakers when I was a baby, my first pair of shoes were Chuck Taylors.”
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TALKING
Many of the women’s colourways are restricted to pinks and purples with sparkles or made from materials like satin - I like the colour pink but not every girl wants to be wearing pink and sparkly shoes. It’s really difficult for women to find their size in men’s shoes unless you have bigger feet. You can buy junior shoes, which is what I do a lot of the time but even then, the soles are different and the shoe looks slightly different. So overall, I think there have been advances for the women’s sneaker industry with stores like Women’s Kith opening and more femaletargeted sneaker shops. but at
COLOUR WAYS
the end of the day it comes down to the products that brands are producing and it’s not so much about the sneaker shops. 50
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RUBY WEARING CONVERSE ONE STAR OX TYLER THE CREATOR GOLF LE FLEUR IN “JOLLY GREEN”
Okay, last question: I watched your recent YouTube video where you talked about advocating for self-love and not comparing yourself to others. How do you deal with that personally? With the digital world now and especially with Instagram, you can spend hours on your explore page scrolling through people you’d never see in real life and people curate what they post on social media. My page is definitely not an accurate representation of my real life and most people’s aren’t. A lot of people will post because it’s become their job and people choose to put their best foot forward on social media because why wouldn’t you? That’s fine. But I think when it can really get it you is when you compare yourself to other people and compare what they have to what you don’t have. When really you should be focusing on all of the things you do have and all of the things in your life that you should be grateful for. I think people care a little bit too much about social media - I used to be like that. I used to think that if I emulated certain people who were successful, that will get me jobs and would also make me successful so, I found myself trying to be this person who I wasn’t at all and I just woke up one day and I was like “fuck this shit”. I’m going to do what I like and create shit that I’m proud of and that’s when things started to really take off for me. I just stopped giving a fuck. I think the digital world is in a place where its so saturated with similar images and in my opinion, the only thing we have to differentiate ourselves is that we are own individuals - we’re all different that each other. Go and do something weird that you love because that’s going to put you on the map.
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“I THINK THE DIGITAL WORLD IS IN A PLACE WHERE IT’S SO SATURATED WITH SIMILAR IMAGES AND IN MY OPINION, THE ONLY THING WE HAVE TO DIFFERENTIATE OURSELVES IS THAT WE ARE OUR OWN INDIVIDUALS.”
RUBY shoes especially, back when I was still living at home and not making my own money - there were all these shoes that I wanted that my parents obviously were not going to buy for me. Now, I’m in the mentality that less is more - if I’m not wearing them and they’re just sitting in my closet, I don’t need stacks on stacks of sneakers that I’m not going to wear just to look cool. I can say that every single pair that I have, I actually do wear - I don’t like having an excess of things anymore. I’d so much rather travel and have worldly experiences, rather than have “things”.
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RUBY BENSON
with her cat, Butters.
RUBY TALKS ABOUT ADVOCATING FOR SELF-LOVE AND THE DANGER OF COMPARISON.
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“I think the digital world is in a place that is so saturated with similar images and in my opinion, the only thing we have to differentiate ourselves is that we are our own individuals - we’re all different than each other. Go and do something weird that you love because that’s going to put you on the map.” 55
Ruby wears her Air Jordan 1 Retro Chicago’s.
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ANNA BEDIONES Anna is a full-time creative consultant and sneaker blogger. She got her start at Complex Magazine in 2013, which led her to her own blog series with Finish Line and eventually, annabediones.com. Anna has collaborated with brands such as Nike, Adidas, Shopify, Make Up For Ever, Benefit Cosmetics, and also coproduced events at the NBA All Star Weekend in 2015 and 2016 in New York City and Toronto. Her love for sneakers started at a young age when she was heavily involved in athletics, specifically in basketball. Her online presence is rooted in her longtime passion for sneakers and sports, married with her personal style. You can find Anna on website at annabediones.com and on Instagram at @atothebed.
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ello! Who are you? And what do you do? My name is Anna Bediones and I always struggle with the question of what I do because I don’t really fit into a box. In 2018, I feel like a lot of people are very multi-faceted. The easiest way to summarize me is that I’m a creative consultant - I mostly jump onto projects to produce them and provide creative feedback or direction. How has your love for sneakers helped shape your career path? I come from a basketball household, so I’ve always taken interest in and loved basketball culture. At an early age I realized that I would never make it pro, but I continued to collect parts of the sport that I really liked. It wasn’t until about 2013 that I realized I could do something with sneakers. I always knew I wanted to be focused on sports so I was able to narrow my career down to sneakers. How did you get your start as a sneaker blogger? When social media started blowing up, I started posting things on Twitter for example, “what did you wear today?,” “my sneakers of the day” and then I started meeting people on both Twitter and Instagram. Back then my content was fairly similar to what it is now, just not as polished. Eventually, I befriended some people at Complex so when an opening came up for freelance writers, I applied. After having fostered somewhat of a relationship with them it made it easier for me to get in and then two of the editors had left Complex and gone to Finish Line so, one of them had asked me to pitch an idea to help engage the women’s community. So I had pitched a blog series called “Not Just For the Gym,” basically to showcase athleisure and how to implement their [Complex’s] catalogue with you own personal style. Through writing I started to gain a social media following of my own. However, I don’t do much blogging on my own. Did any particular person influence you to get into sneakers? Did you have a style icon growing up? I guess it started from my parents. They put me in sneakers from a very young age and I think because I had grown up wearing sneakers and not so much the feminine styles, I identified with Sporty Spice as a style icon. I identified with people that shared similar styles as me - I mean, I don’t think at that age I really thought too much about style but
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ANNA AT HOME WEARING AIR JORDAN 1 RETRO HIGH FROM THE SEASON OF HER COLLECTION IN “BARELY GRAPE/METALLIC GOLD/WHITE”
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ANNA BEDIONES
In January 2018, the Jordan Brand revealed a line of shoes specifically made for women. The spring collection features three different styles including the Air Jordan 1 Season of Her pictured in three colorways on the left.
I liked her because she was in a girl group and she was the sportiest. I looked up to any other iteration of that, for example women like Aaliyah, Left Eye - basically any girl who wore baggy pants, crop tops and sneakers. Do you remember what your first pair of sneakers was? Yes, they were red Adidas Gazelles. I have a photo of me at my very 1st birthday party at McDonald’s wearing that pair of sneakers. I feel like that’s still so me today! How would you describe your personal style? My personal style is very relaxed - I like to be as comfortable as possible. That’s why I’m drawn to sneakers, it always starts with the sneakers and then pants. I dress myself from the bottom up. Do you feel there is a disparity between women and men in sneaker culture? Do you feel that men are better represented? How do you feel that women could be better represented? I think it’s getting there. Brands have taken great strides in being more inclusive of the female consumer. I love that they’re working with non-traditional female sneakerheads, for example, Nike with Bella Hadid and music artists, and people that aren’t necessarily known for being sneakerheads per se but represent sneakers in a style of their own. Overall, I think there’s always room for improvement - one thing I would love is if they just removed the whole men’s and women’s categories and just release everything in unisex. So, having a more broad size range, rather than having that whole discussion about “does this come in women’s, or does this come in kids sizes?” So, in January, the Jordan Brand revealed a full women’s line, why is this so important to you and for the industry as a whole? I think it’s important because it shows that they’re finally going all in for women. I mean, Jordan is the only brand that really hasn’t had a women’s line - it previously only had kids and men’s. A woman is a very different consumer than a child; a woman is maybe buying a child’s shoe but she’s keeping it longer than a child would. And I think it’s just a
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AIR JORDAN 11 ‘SPACE JAM’ PACK
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“OVERALL, I THINK THERE’S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT - ONE THING I WOULD LOVE IS IF THEY JUST REMOVED THE WHOLE MEN’S AND WOMEN’S CATEGORIES AND JUST RELEASE EVERYTHING IN UNISEX.”
ANNA BEDIONES
statement on where women are in the world. Women are taking more of a lead in the creative industry and basically in any industry - that was the basis for the Jordan collaboration I did last month. I was highlighting 10 women in Toronto who are doing cool things: so, whether they are in the creative industry, or working in sport, etc. The new line is just a statement on our place as women in this generation and a strong one at that. I also think that the female sneakerhead is different now, she’s evolved.
Yeah, I would say don’t obsess too much about hype and pick what you like and don’t worry about whether other people think it’s cool because you never know, one day it might be cool and you were right all along. You’re most comfortable in your own skin. For a really long time people thought that me wearing sneakers as a girl was something that I had to grow out of. I only felt the most true to myself after university, that’s when I started wearing sneakers more and that’s when I started blogging and I started dressing for myself. If you’re favourite shoe is an Air Force 1 and it’s not super hype, it doesn’t matter - that’s your favourite, so just wear it. If it’s something you believe in, it comes more naturally to you because your whole heart is in it.
“SOME DAYS IM REALLY GIRLY AND OTHER DAYS I’M NOT AT ALL. GENERALLY SPEAKING, I’M DRAWN TO ALL WHITE OR BLACK WITH A WHITE MIDSOLE.” What is your go-to pair of sneakers that you reach for every day? Usually it depends if I’m excited about a new pair that I just got but if we’re speaking overall, it’s either an all-white Air Force 1 Low or some kind of Jordan 1 - if I’m going to an event I usually reach for my Jordan 1’s. Love my Chicago’s. What is one shoe release that you wish came in women’s sizes? This is a hard one - if we’re speaking most recently, back in December they released this white black and pink Jordan 1 and it came in a pack of two so there was one pink one and one ‘Igloo blue’ one. It was called the Rust Pink Jordan 1. That was a men’s only shoe that only dropped at Art Basel in Miami.
Are there certain colourways that you’re drawn to? It’s hard because some days I’m girly and other days I’m not at all. Generally speaking I’m drawn to all white or black with a white midsole and then sometimes I love all pink. I tend to gravitate towards monochromatic sneakers. Do you have any advice for other women in terms of styling your sneakers or styling your outfit based on your sneakers?
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What’s the craziest thing you’ve done for a pair of sneakers? I camped out overnight in the winter - that’s probably one of the craziest things. It was December 28th and my boyfriend and I really wanted these Jordan 1s and we camped out and some guy brought a heater. There was another time where my brother and I went to Square One in Mississauga to get a pair of the Jordan 11 Concord. They don’t let you in the mall after hours so we all lined up and once the mall opened everybody had stormed in and ran to Champs but I slipped away and I went around the corner and lined up at Foot Locker because one was on the lower level, one was upstairs. So, everyone ran one way, I ran the other way my brother went left, I went right and apparently they had trashed the gates to the store at Champs so it got really crazy over there and they cancelled the release and my brother was really upset. I messaged him and told him that I was still first in line at Foot Locker, there was nobody else there yet. So, he had quietly
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ANNA BEDIONES
“A WOMAN IS A VERY DIFFERENT CONSUMER THAN A CHILD; A WOMAN IS MAYBE BUYING A CHILD’S SHOE BUT SHE’S KEEPING IT LONGER THAN A CHILD WOULD.” gone over to me but eventually people had figured out that they could go to Footlocker so, everyone came and I had to get in arguments with full-grown men who would try to butt in front of me. I was trying to get a size 12 for my brother and there was definitely this 6-foot big guy who was trying to intimidate me but I remember us finally getting our shoes and we were so happy but nervous to leave the mall. The worst things were running through my mind, we didn’t want to get jumped so we had to slip out quietly through Walmart and drive home immediately. But I mean, there are people who travel, who wait for days - I would never do that, I have a job. I would never travel for a sneaker, I think at that point you may as well just pay resell because it’s more expensive
to travel, stay somewhere, take the time off. There are people who make full-time careers out of reselling - they make money and there are also people who just do it to collect. I guess you can call it a hobby, like people who collect cards or sports memorabilia, or coins, stamps etcetera. And finally, is there a dream designer collaboration that you’d love to seen in the future? I don’t know but I’d love to design my own pair of sneakers, that would probably be my dream collab!
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ANNA WEARS HER NIKE AIR FORCE 1 HI JUST DON IN WHITE
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“For a really long time people thought that wearing sneakers as a girl was something that I had to grow out of. I only felt the most true to myself after university – that’s when I started wearing sneakers more, began blogging and it’s really when I started dressing for myself.” 74
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Mary Young is an entrepreneurial powerhouse who started her own ethically-made Canadian lingerie line as her final thesis at Ryerson’s School of Fashion. She saw a gap in the lingerie industry where she should could offer women garments that celebrate their natural shape rather than telling them to change their body. Her brand encourages body positivity for women of all shapes and sizes. Much like Mary’s designs, her love for sneakers is rooted in comfort and practicality. Shop Mary’s products at maryyoung.ca and find her on Instagram at @itsmaryyoung.
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MARY WEARS HER CUSTOM ‘FORCE IS FEMALE’ NIKE AIR FORCE 1 LOW’S
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“THE BRAND IS TRULY AN EXTENSION OF MYSELF, NOT ONLY THE NAME, BUT ALL THE THINGS THAT I BELIEVE TO BE TRUE. I BELIEVE ALL WOMEN AND ALL BODIES ARE BEAUTIFUL, I BELIEVE IN LOVING YOURSELF FIRST AND SUPPORTING OTHERS ALONG THE WAY.”
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ntroduce yourself ! Who are you? And what do you do? I’m Mary Young, the founder and designer behind my namesake lingerie line - MARY YOUNG. Running a business means I do much more than one thing; overall I’m a designer, marketer, strategist, growth developer and speaker. Tell us about you brand and how it started! What inspired you to create your own company? I started my brand nearly four years ago and it originated out of my capstone at Ryerson University where I studied Fashion Communications. I decided to do a double thesis, one for the communication program and a full collection for the design program. This is when I started studying the lingerie industry really intently. After breaking down the options available to women I realized there was a large gap in the market and how this industry was seriously under serving women. The desire to offer women garments that celebrate their natural shape rather than tell them to change their body was the main reason I started my company. Since the inception of your lingerie brand, you have received significant exposure from some notable publications including Vogue, Refinery29, Flare Magazine and Elle Canada - how do you use your platform and voice to empower women? I never imagined having a platform where I could share my voice, so in all honesty, I never planned or strategized what my voice should be, rather I stuck true to my personal voice. The brand is truly an extension of myself, not only the name, but all the things that I believe to be true. I believe all women and all bodies are beautiful, I believe in loving yourself first and supporting others along the way. These are things I personally and professionally share and thankfully with the help of social media and the above mentioned media outlets, I’ve
been able to reach more women and in turn have a platform to encourage a more positive approach. You started a movement called “Self Love Club”, can you explain what this is about and what inspired you? The Self Love Club is a movement that is much broader than MARY YOUNG but it’s something we’re extremely passionate about and are powering. The concept behind it is quite self explanatory, love for yourself. This started with physical looks and body positivity but is moving to cover more areas of life. Having conversations with my friends about self-confidence and self love really gave me the basis for the Self Love Club. Realizing that it can’t just be me and my friends feeling this way, I wanted to open up the conversation to a broader community that encourages a more open and honest space to share these things. Over the past few years of having my brand I’ve met so many amazing women who began to look at their bodies differently, and more lovingly, so I wanted to bring that to light and include both men and women in this space, both digitally and physically, to help everyone feel less alone. Now let’s talk sneakers - how would you describe your personal style and how you express this through wearing sneakers? Comfort has always been my priority, even from a very young age, so it only made sense that sneakers were my go to footwear. As I’ve grown and actually developed my personal style sneakers were always a part of it - mostly because I have a bad back and need comfortable footwear. I truly believe in function so wearing a professional or dressy look paired with sneakers is not taboo for me. I’m still a bit of a tomboy and wear oversized and loose clothing, which pairs nicely with sneakers.
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MARY YOUNG
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When did your love for sneakers start? Did any particular person or experience influence you? I grew up in a town of 9000 people with dial up internet so I was in the dark about a lot of sneakers and brands I was always wearing off brands from Zellers. So my love for sneakers, mostly comfortable footwear, was in me from a young age but moving to Toronto and being introduced to the wide variety of options was really when my slight addiction started. The thing I love most about sneakers is they will always fit, I can see a pair I love and know they’ll fit and work for me and my lifestyle. I’ve always struggled finding clothing to always fit but sneakers have always been so reliable and such a confidence booster. Do you have a style icon? Or did you have one growing up? In all honesty I’ve never had one style icon or one person I look to for inspiration. I love to look to a variety of both men and women for inspiration. Some of my top inspirational looks come from Rihanna and Kim Kardashian (thanks to Kanye) - aside from that Tumblr and Instagram give me endless sources of inspiration.
men aren’t shopping in the same way women are - women have many other things to shop for while men typically have less options in terms of clothing so of course footwear is big for them. I definitely believe women could be better represented and the first way would be to stop focusing on pink and floral designs for women. By removing all stereotypes and preconceived notions of what women want and offering more gender neutral designs targeted at women would connect with more women. What is your go-to brand and pair of sneakers? I definitely am loyal to Nike and rarely find myself looking to other brands for footwear. I have a great pair of flyknit tennis shoes that are super underrated - during the warmer months I wear these day in and day out. Is there a dream designer collaboration that you’d love to see? I would love to see a female athlete given the same opportunity to have their own shoe - not just a redesign of a shoe. Think of Jordans, KD’s and Lebrons - where is the Williams (Serena) shoe for example?
Do you remember what your first pair of sneakers was? All the sneakers I wore while growing up, aka the shoes my parents bought for me were not purchased for brand or design reasons but only function. The first pair that I purchased based on looks and brand name were Nike Monarchs when I was a teenager. Would you say you wear sneakers more for function or for fashion? I would have to say function and thankfully now they’re in fashion so I can get away with both. Do you think there is a disparity between women and men in sneaker culture? Do you feel that men are better represented and if so, how do you feel that women could be better represented? I definitely think men are more represented in the sneaker culture and brands are often targeting men more than women. In some ways I understand this;
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“THE SNEAKER INDUSTRY CAN BE QUITE ELITIST AND EXCLUSIVE AND THANKS TO MANY BRANDS OFFERING THEIR TAKE ON SNEAKERS, IT’S FINALLY CHANGING TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE.”
Are there any releases that you’ve been coveting lately? I’ve been loving the Nike reimagined release that recently dropped - even though I haven’t jumped on a pair yet I’m constantly checking what sizes are still left. Coming up drops I’m intrigued by the Air Max 270 - which not everyone will agree with but I think the new colourways are great. I’m also eyeing the Vapormax 2.0, again because of the new colourways. What is one shoe release that you wish came in women’s sizes? I’d have to say the Kaws X Air Jordan IV - not my typical silhouette but the significance of the collaboration makes them more valuable to me. Are there certain colourways that you’re drawn to? I’m either into super neutral, all white or black and then the opposite, super bold like orange, cobalt and green. Do you have any advice for other women in terms of styling your sneakers? I would tell other women to get out of your head, we often stress about what we wear and even more so if you’re trying something new. So if you want to wear sneakers, do it. You don’t have to be a baller or know everything about the brand or shoe, just start somewhere and find your love for sneakers on your own terms. Is there anything you want to add? The sneaker industry can be quite elitist and exclusive and thanks to many brands offering their take on sneakers, it’s finally changing to be more inclusive.
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“Removing all stereotypes and preconceived notions of what women want and offering more gender neutral designs would connect with more women.�
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Josephine is a cat-lady, freelance writer, a brand-consultant, co-founder of Toronto’s first pop-up online radio station, a DJ who goes by the name of Jayemkayem. She writes regularly for notable publications such as Hypebeast/Hypebae, Complex and MissBish. Her music selections include an eclectic mix of genres from rap/trap, to R&B, grime, to UK Garage and beyond. Jo uses sneakers as a way to spice up her low-maintenance and minimal everyday wardrobe. You can find Josephine’s website at jayemkayem.com and on Instagram at @jayemkayem.
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JOSEPHINE CRUZ
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ho are you? And what do you do? I’m Josephine Cruz and some people know me as Jayemkayem. I am a DJ, freelance writer, brand consultant and cofounder of Toronto’s first pop-up online radio station, Istolethesoul FM. Tell us about how you got into DJing. I was always into music but I never got super into DJ culture until I met my ex. It was through him I learned a lot about scratching, turntablism and the history of DJing. I sometimes thought that I might like to give it a go, but during our relationship that was more his domain and I was more interested in the promoting side. We used to throw a lot of successful parties together back then! When he and I split up I thought I’d give DJing a try myself and the rest is history.
Are there any women that you look up to in your field? How about in your daily life? One of my biggest inspirations is Venus X, who is the founder of GHE20G0TH1K. She’s an amazing DJ for not only her technical skills but how she pushes the limits of new music. She’s always incredibly dressed and has a very unique style. She’s also very upfront and honest. Her Instagram stories give me life. Annie Mac, who is a DJ and radio host/presenter from the UK, is another big role model for me. She’s always championing new music and is seen as a tastemaker not only by audiences but by her peers. Not to mention she’s a mother which is another level of inspiring. In my own immediate circle, my friend Sosupersam is a big inspiration for me for how she is so handson with her own career as a DJ and singer. We have so many great women doing amazing things in Toronto and some friends that I admire include Nino Brown, Bianca Harris, Tabban Soleimani and Dre Ngozi.
“I WAS ABOUT 11 YEARS OLD WHEN THE WNBA LAUNCHED AND I STILL REMEMBER SEEING A NEWS STORY ABOUT SHERYL SWOOPES GETTING HER OWN NIKE SHOE. I REMEMBER THINKING THAT WAS REALLY COOL.”
Tell us about a highlight of your career thus far. The most exciting gig you’ve had & what impact did it have on you? I’ve been fortunate enough to have a lot of crazy experiences with my DJing already even though I’ve only been taking it seriously for a few years. I think the most exciting gig I’ve had was in Shanghai, China at a club named Le Baron. It’s definitely one of the most beautiful clubs I’ve ever seen. The creative director is a famous Swedish illustrator/ graffiti artist named André Saraiva and the interior is just amazing; it made me feel like I was in a 1980’s New York club or something. It’s always nerve-wracking to DJ in another city and especially in another country because you just never know if people are going to enjoy what you play for them. The crowd was amazing and super receptive: I got to play everything from classic disco to the newest trap music. The promoter got so excited during my set that he asked to join me for a “back to back” session to end the night. He told me it had been a while since a guest DJ inspired him to jump on, so that was very motivating, especially knowing all the great DJs who have passed through the doors at Le Baron. I’ll never forget my time in Shanghai.
Now let’s talk sneakers how would you describe your personal style and how you express this through wearing sneakers? I was always drawn to more sporty and casual clothes ever since I was a kid; there have been times when I’ve dressed differently or incorporated more dressy or feminine elements but I always seem to come back to wearing sweats and hoodies. My style is extremely low maintenance and minimal; my favourite thing to wear is sweatsuits or tracksuits because then I don’t even have to pick a seperate top and bottom (lol, ultimate lazy!). I pretty much wear a variation of the same thing everyday and I’m 100% okay with that. I don’t wear a lot of layers, jewelry or accessories so wearing sneakers gives me a way to accessorize or jazz up a (most likely) boring outfit. When did your love for sneakers start? Did any particular person or experience influence you? I played sports growing up but I would never have considered myself athletic. Instead, my love for sneakers comes
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from skate culture, as my older brother was really into skating; I used to love reading his skate magazines and seeing all the ads for the new Nike SBs and Vans. We also used to watch a lot of basketball growing up. I was about 11 years old when the WNBA launched and I still remember seeing a news story about Sheryl Swoopes getting her own Nike shoe. I remember thinking that was really cool. Do you have a style icon? Or did you have one growing up? It seems almost cliche to say it but growing up my style icon was definitely Sporty Spice. I was also obsessed with Aaliyah and J-Lo. Now I’d say it’s Rihanna although I don’t think I could pull off anything she wears. My more “realistic” current style icons are Kehlani, Kendall Jenner and Jorja Smith. Do you remember your first pair of sneaker? I don’t remember my first pair ever but the oldest pair in my current collection is a pair of Hunter Muraira Nike Team Edition SBs that I bought from GoodFoot back in 2005. They are super beat up and yellowed, but I’ve held onto them for so long that I can’t seem to get rid of them. Would you say you wear sneakers more for function or for fashion? It’s really a bit of both but I think they’re more for fashion. As I mentioned before, sneakers are more of an accessory for me. One pattern I’ve noticed in myself is that I’ll get super stuck on one pair and wear them all the time and then move to something else and come back again. Do you feel there is a disparity between women and men in sneaker culture? Do you feel that men are better represented? If yes, how so? I think that brands are trying a bit harder when it comes to representing women but the stuff that releases in big sizes is still way better. The Season of Her Jordan women’s collection that came out recently is a good example: they finally made something exclusive for women with beautiful construction and premium materials, but they were still done in a very “feminine” pastel colour palette. I still bought a pair because I wanted to support the collection, but it wasn’t a colour I would have normally purchased. Also, it seems that a lot of the best styles aren’t widely available in women’s sizes, like the Off-White x Nike stuff for instance. For me it seems simple, just make everything in sizes for everyone; is it really that hard?! The concept of gender is becoming a thing of the past anyways. I’d love to see the sneaker industry adopt one system of sizing for kids and adults. There are enough women/femme-identifying and small-footed humans out there buying sneakers that they would for sure sell. It’s 2018 and women have huge buying power. What is your go-to brand and pair of sneakers? My go-to pair of sneakers are any of my Jordan 1’s. That’s my favourite silhouette of all time and I wear my Breds and
Royals more than most of my other shoes. In terms of go-to brands overall my favourite items in my closet are all Reigning Champ, Aritzia and Atelier New Regime. Is there a dream designer collaboration that you’d love to see? I think I’m a lot more interested in artist collaborations and the one I always dreamed of already came true with the Kaws x Jordan 4. I’ve seen some rumors about a Kaws Jordan 1 and that’s something that I’d love to see for obvious reasons stated above. When Phoebe Philo was at Céline that would have been an amazing collab too, but I guess that will never happen now. Are there any releases that you’ve been coveting lately? Obviously the Off-White x Nike. I’ve never tried so hard to get a shoe in my life, especially one I knew wouldn’t be my proper size since they were so hard to get in small sizing. I took all the L’s. I also really like the new Riccardo Tisci “Victorious Minotaurs” AF1’s that dropped during NBA All Star weekend. And I’m keen to check out the new Air Max 270. What is one shoe release that you wish came in women’s sizes? I would say the Off-White x Nike but those DID come in smaller sizes; it was just really poorly communicated by the brand and the small ones were super hard to get a hold of. I think I’ll go with the Air Max 1 Atmos Elephant from last year’s Air Max Day. Fans voted for the re-release for the 30th anniversary of Air Max, only for them to be a men’s-only release. It seemed like a huge oversight on Nike’s part. What is your favourite footwear brand? I’m a Nike girl for sure; all my favourite sneakers are Nike or Jordan. I like a lot of adidas styles but I find that I’m a bit in between sizes when it comes to adidas shoes. Are there certain colourways that you’re drawn to? I like a pretty neutral colourway with maybe a pop of colour. White, grey, beige, silver or gold with a hint of red or blue is perfect for me. Do you have any advice for other women in terms of styling your sneakers? I don’t think I should be giving any styling advice because I always joke that I should go on What Not To Wear! Just kidding. But sneakers honestly look great with anything. Jeans, a t-shirt, a leather jacket and sneakers is a no-fail outfit every season of the year. I would say don’t get too matchy-matchy: if the colours of your clothes doesn’t match the colour of your shoes, that’s fine. And I would say pair them with things you wouldn’t normally think they would go: I love to wear my sneakers with dresses, skirts and wide-leg dress pants.
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“I’d love to see the sneaker industry adopt one system of sizing for kids and adults. There are enough women/femme-identifying and small-footed humans out there buying sneakers that they would for sure sell. It’s 2018 and women have huge buying power.“
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JOSEPHINE WEARS NIKE AIR MAX 180 OG IN “ULTRAMARINE”
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ZOË GEORGE Zoë is a friend of mine, who’s 9-5 work is in influencer marketing. She draws style inspiration from female popculture icons such as Rihanna, Rita Ora and the Olsen Twins as well as male music artists like Kanye West. In her daily life, she is inspired by all of the creative and successful women in her industry. Zoë dresses herself from the bottom up, using a pair of kicks as the foundation to any outfit. Find her on Instagram at @zo.geo
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ho are you and what do you do? Hi! My name is Zoe George. I am 23 years old from Toronto, ON. I spend my weekends going on walks, shopping and trying new foods and learning more and more what this city has to offer. I dance. On weekdays I work in influencer marketing. Are there any women that you look up to in your field? How about in your daily life? Working in influencer marketing means looking at successful creators and analyzing what they do. There are tons of strong, creative, accomplished boss ladies in my industry so yes, I definitely look up to many women in my field. Are there any women who inspired you while you were growing up? Growing up I always looked up to my mum of course. Stylewise my big inspirations growing up were music icons. I was super young and looking at the spice girls as this badass
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group of women who despite having completely different styles, came together and looked like a cohesive unit. I always was (and still am) the sporty spice kind of gal, bu some days I felt like being a baby spice diva. I think as I got older women like Rihanna, Rita Ora, the Olsen Twins were women who really cultivated style and being your own person. Let’s talk sneakers - how would you describe your personal style and how you express this through wearing sneakers? My personal style is always changing and evolving but sticks to a few core rules. I think you have be aware that trends are a big thing and there are always new styles, old styles coming back, or concrete styles that never change. That one concrete thing that doesn’t change is a good pair of sneakers. I typically express the majority of my style wearing sneakers. I like to dress from the bottom up, I choose my shoes first, then the rest of my outfit. When did your love for sneakers start? Did any par-
ZOË GEORGE
Do you have a style icon? Did you have one while you were growing up? Any artist that has good music. One morning I can listen to Kanye and want to leave the house in sweats, Ultra Boosts and a hat. One morning I can wake up to MJ and grab a leather jacket and go. I love that music inspires me. Do you remember your first pair of sneakers? I think I wore baby sneakers, after that probably a pair of classic high top Chuck Taylors. (most likely a hand me down from my big brother).
Would you say you wear sneakers more for function or for fashion? Both. It’s great because they are the best part of an outfit, and they’re comfortable. Do you feel that men are better represented in the sneaker industry? How do you feel that women could be better represented? I feel that there is a disparity between us and men in the industry. Big brands like Nike and Adidas are at the forefront of change for women in sneaker culture and classically they’ve done a lot right and done a pretty good job in getting us there, but we need more. As the sneaker industry is sport centric and most styles stem from athletics and athleisure, sadly, women are not quite at the forefront of the industry. However, things are looking up with cool releases made by women and brands recognizing women in this industry. I think we have more resources to get shoes in the sizes we want, and the colourways we want. I’d say it is progressing. What is your go-to brand and/or pair of sneakers? Nike!!!
NIKE AIR JORDAN 1 RETRO HIGH OG “BRED”
ticular person or experience influence you? I’d say the past 3 or 4 years I’ve really gotten into sneaker culture. Really only because I’ve had the money to spend on sneakers in these recent years. However, as a kid I was always laced up. From Iverson’s to AF1’s to Phat Farms I was always getting my mum to take me to Footlocker so I could have the newest, coolest shoes i saw in magazines like Teen Bop (lol). I didn’t love them at this age, I just had to have them. Now I can say I love them.
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“Style-wise, my big inspirations growing up were music icons. I was super young and looking at the Spice Girls as this badass group of women who despite having completely different styles, came together and looked like a cohesive unit.� 113
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Is there a dream designer collaboration that you’d love to see? Me and Nike! Ultimately I like when big designer brands such as LV and Balenciaga get into the sneaker game. I’d also really like to see Russell Westbrook do a lifestyle shoe. Are there any releases that you’ve been coveting lately? If I can get my hands on the newest Off White X Jordan 1 collaboration I will be a happy girl. I love the work Virgil Abloh does with textures and fabrics on a classic retro shoe. What is one shoe release that you wish came in women’s sizes? Everything should come in women’s sizes! But I’m lucky i can fit into a grade school sizing so essentially everything is covered for me. Are there specific colourways that you’re drawn to? I think as seasons change and trends come and go there are hot colours of the season. You can always stick to a crisp white sneaker and I never go wrong with red. Do you have any advice for other women in terms of styling your sneakers? Get shoes that inspire you and if you like them, wear them! I’m the kind of girl who wears my sneakers and often I beat them up. It’s not about collecting and re-selling or keeping them pristine it’s more about finding shoes that work for you and that fit your style or mood. Also, don’t be afraid to be the girl who wears sneakers to the office.
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KATHERINE JOHNSEN Katherine is the marketing director for Canada’s largest startup event. As the daughter of a flight attendant, she never has her shoes planted in one place for too long. When she’s not travelling between her hometown of Calgary to Montreal and Toronto for work, she’s using her flight passes for spontaneous weekend getaways and sharing her adventures through her personal blog and social media. As Katherine is constantly on the move, she’s become an expert at packing light, bringing with her only the bare essentials. Her carry-on sneaker staples are Nike Flyknit trainers or racers. You can find Katherine on her blog at beachykj.com and on Instagram at @beachykj.
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“WHEN I’M NOT TRAVELING FOR WORK, I’M USUALLY USING MY PASSES TO GET TO LONDON OR SOMEWHERE HOT FOR A QUICK 48 HOURS. I GET BORED BEING IN ONE PLACE FOR TOO LONG!”
H
ello! Tell us who you are and what you do. My name is Katherine Johnsen, I’m the director of Marketing and Partnerships for Startupfest, which is Canada’s largest startup event, and we’re bringing over 7000 people to Montreal every July internationally. We’ve also been building out a side project called the Elevator World Tour over the past few years where we run elevator pitch competitions in the world’s most impressive elevators in cities like Paris, Hong Kong, and Tel Aviv, and I have the same role with our new project FWD50 which is about transforming digital government in Ottawa, commissioned by the CIO of Canada. My life is all about startups, and helping to stimulate startup communities in other cities across Canada, like Calgary where I’m from. When I’m not traveling for work I’m usually using my passes to get to London or somewhere hot for a quick 48 hours. I get bored being in one place for too long! I really like to be exploring new spots and there’s so many cities I love that if I’m away from one for too long I just crave being there! I started sharing my travels on instagram more and more over the past few years, and got asked a lot about my recommendations in certain cities, so I started making city guides so they’d live in one place! And I also started to share my love of sneakers more publicly on the gram and realized what a community there was for it, so it’s grown into a pretty large part of my life as well! What is your favourite place you’ve traveled to? I think my favorite place I’ve ever traveled to would be Japan. I was blown away by so many aspects of their culture.
You’ll see $3000 bikes just left on the street unlocked, whereas in Canada your bike would be stolen within 15 minutes, and there’s zero trash as people are just responsible for their own waste. Things like that I had such respect for. Also streetwear is insane in Japan, people have such incredible style, anything goes and I love that. And the retail spaces are INCREDIBLE and smell amazing! Tell us about a highlight of your career thus far. What is the most exciting opportunity you’ve had and the impact that it had on you. That’s tough, I think a big highlight for me would be when I was invited to be part of Geeks on a Plane. Created by the Founder of 500 startups which is a top tier accelerator in the Valley, they invite about 15-20 people who are either esteemed entrepreneurs, VCs, thought leaders, just leaders in the startup community to explore a continent together, and you travel to a couple different cities and meet the startup community there and spend time with your fellow travel buddies, who are all such amazing talented people from different walks of life! I was invited as a guest with my boss, and we did GOAP: South America, meeting entrepreneurs in Rio and having this invaluable time with some of the leaders in my industry was just an incredible experience and a super inspiring time. Getting to sit at a dinner table with like 12 incredible seasoned entrepreneurs living in cities across the globe and hearing their experiences was invaluable. Are there any women that you look up to in your career or in terms of influencers? Absolutely, there’s certain women in my field that I totally admire. Amber Venz Box, who is the co-founder of RewardStyle is someone I greatly respect, she started RewardStyle because she wanted an additional way to monetize her fashion blog at 23, and it’s now a multi million dollar company. There’s a lot of great female founders I deeply admire. Sincerely Jules would be an influencer I admire, I think she’s done an incredible job of staying authentic to herself, in an industry where I imagine that’s really difficult to do, and she’s got such a laid back vibe and style, I’m a big fan! (Plus, she created her own line off of her personal success, which is incredibly rad). Inspired me to make a quick line of tshirts, after making a few for myself that garnered a lot of attention on instagram, and sold them out in a week! Shoutout to
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KATHERINE JOHNSEN you Jules for that inspiration! Oh, and Miriam Alden, founder of BrunettetheLabel. As simple as it is, she totally killed it with her initial line and now it’s gained huge notoriety as a brand. Girls running their own companies that get how PR works and how to properly tell a story, like the aforementioned ones, I really admire. Now let’s talk sneakers - how would you describe your personal style and how do you express this through wearing sneakers? Yes! I would say my personal style is very uncomplicated, and minimal. I’m a big believer in pieces, and staples. So there’s staples like your classic white tees, black turtlenecks, and great denim, and then you also invest in those beautiful pieces that are a little more timeless, and you don’t wear on a daily basis but incorporate into your wardrobe. I’ve always been pretty sporty, and simple, and so sneakers have been the easy way for me to add some of my personal style and expression to a basic tee and high waisted denim. They’re my favorite accessory, I love the Coco Chanel quote “before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off”, that’s unequivocally me. Sneakers are a staple, and also a piece if that makes sense! I think that’s why I love them. You can say so much with your footwear. You’re a self-proclaimed “Carry-On Queen,” constantly traveling between Calgary, Montreal and Toronto for work and often taking spontaneous weekend trips all over the world; do you have any carry-on staples when it comes to sneakers? I do actually! Flyknits for me always come along, usually a Nike Flyknit trainer or a Flyknit racer, because they go completely flat in your bag, and I need the space! And they’re just a rad silhouette, they look good with everything and there’s so many colorways especially in the racer. The Orcas or the Blue tints would have to be my go tos. When did your love for sneakers start? Did any particular person or experience influence you? I have an older brother and he’s always been a sneakerhead, he’s the guy who gets the Tom Sachs and wears them into the ground instead of keeping them in a box, so I got exposed to the culture a lot through him growing up, which is what I think started it for me. And I was pretty selective in my picks I’d see something that just really jumped out and I’d have to have it, so I wasn’t like coveting Jordans from a young age or anything but I’ve always been very decisive in what I like and I’ll just
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KATHERINE WEARS ADIDAS NMD R1 IN “RAW PINK”
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KATHERINE WEARS NIKE VAPORMAX IN “PURE PLATINUM”
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“SNEAKER CULTURE HAS BECOME SO DEMOCRATIZED WITH SOCIAL MEDIA, PEOPLE LIKE SEAN WOTHERSPOON CAN GET THEIR OWN SNEAKER NOW AND THAT WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE BEFORE SO I THINK THAT’S HELPING WOMEN BE BETTER REPRESENTED AS WELL.”
be like yep- need that. Definitely started slow for me and has escalated significantly over the past 5 years probably! Do you have a style icon at the moment? Adrianne Ho has been a total icon of mine for years, but I’d say I like to incorporate that “hypebeast” streetwear with everyday pieces, so Andi C Singer is a big one for me. If I could have Andi C Singer combine her style with Adrianne Ho that would be me in a nutshell. Do you remember what your first pair of sneakers was? Oh gosh, Vans Old Skools were probably one of my first favorites, in every color, or the Adidas Gazelles. And Vans are still a go-to for me today. Then the Nike Roshe was a big part of my collection in about 2012 when they came out! Would you say you wear sneakers more for function or for fashion (or both)? Both for sure, I have a lot of shoes that aren’t sneakers I still love to wear especially when traveling that I can wear all day, but sneakers are such an easy statement piece and with how many different silhouettes there are you can have a million different looks which is what’s so cool! Do you feel there is a disparity between women and men in sneaker culture? Do you feel that men are better represented and if so, how do you feel that women could be better represented? I think a lot of brands launch female sneakers they think we want to wear, and not paying much attention to what we actually want to wear, and there’s very few female sneaker designers. People think of Tinker Hatfield or Jason Petrie, but who can you think of who is a strong female designer? Sophia Chang now has a collection with Puma, but even if you look at male athlete endorsements, we’re a lot more familiar with them than the female ones. Sneaker culture has become so democratized with social media, people like Sean Wotherspoon can get their own sneaker now and that wouldn’t have been possible before so I think that’s helping women be better represented as well. I think women have to just buy what they want, and if it doesn’t exist- ask for it! I also think a lot of women are perceived to buy popular releases to impress men, when I’d argue it’s more likely men are buying concord XI’s for that reason. Creating a dialogue and being involved in the conversation is what women need to continue doing and social media is an amazing platform for that!
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KATHERINE JOHNSEN
What is your go-to brand and pair of sneakers? Are you particularly loyal to one brand? I would say Nike. I absolutely love an ultraboost, the boost sole has won me over and NMDs are such an easy favorite for me, so Adidas has done a fantastic job over the past few years staying incredibly relevant. But Nike is so timeless, with the Air Max and all of the different variations of that shoe alone, I would say Nike would have to be my pick. Love the Air Max 97, and Flyknit Racers.
“I’M ALL ABOUT NAVYS AND NUDES, I DEFINITELY HAVE A HARD TIME RESISTING THAT. I DO LOVE MY PASTEL SNEAKERS WHICH I FEATURE A LOT ON MY INSTAGRAM.”
Is there a dream designer collaboration that you’d love to see? I have this secret dream of a Louis Vuitton X Air Max 97 collab, with the classic monogram print. That would be rad. Are there any releases that you’ve been coveting lately? I was digging the Jordan 1 Bred Toe this week, it’s such a classic colorway, but definitely Sean Wotherspoon 97/1’s which have their general release on airmax day. I dig that corduroy- I NEED IT! What is one shoe release that you wish came in women’s sizes? Hmm not off the top of my head, because I’ll just go to grade school sizing usually where the men’s will be available in my size, but I do wish that more retailers would carry fuller size runs. A lot of times even in flyknit trainers or something, stores like Footlocker or Champs will only have a mens size 8, because they don’t think the demand is there, and that’s kind of annoying! Women can also like the black shoes or the Jordans you know guys… we don’t only like the white or baby blue ones! But I know that has more to do with what the brands allocate them than the stores themselves. Are there certain colourways that you’re drawn to? I’m all about navys and nudes, I definitely have a hard time resisting that. I do love my pastel sneakers which I feature a lot on my instagram, but to be honest they’re featured a lot because they’re so eye catching and fun in photos! Anything indigo dyed, what I’d do to get my hands on the Tokyo 2020 Indigo dyed Flyknit racers… Do you have any advice for other women in terms of styling your sneakers? I think just be true to what you like! I get teased a little bit sometimes for rocking things like NMD R1s, because they’re not the most “hype” shoe, but I think the silhouette is rad and I really like them so I wear them! Wear what you like and what you’re drawn to, and that makes it cool, but I would recommend a great pair of Air Max 90’s… can’t beat ‘em and they look awesome with denim!
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KATHERINE WEARS ADIDAS NMD R1 IN “RAW PINK”
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GLOSSARY
BEATERS
THOSE SNEAKERS YOU WEAR OVER AND OVER DESPITE THE CREASES, SCUFFS, STAINS AND SMELL. USUALLY AN OLDER MODEL.
BESPOKE
A ONE-OF-A-KIND AIR FORCE 1 DESIGNED AT NIKE’S 21 MERCER LOCATION WHERE THEY OFFER PERSONALIZATION AND A SPECIAL ASSORTMENT OF MATERIALS AND FINISHES.
B-GRADE
A SHOE THAT IS DEFECTED IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING, OFTEN SOLD IN OUTLET STORES .
BREDS
AIR JORDANS CONSISTING OF A RED AND BLACK COLOURWAY.
COLLAB
SHORT FORM FOR COLLABORATION, USUALLY WHEN A BRAND IS PAIRED WITH AN ATHLETE OR ARTIST TO DESIGN A SNEAKER .
COLOURWAY
THE COMBINATION OF COLOURS APPLIED TO A SNEAKER.
COP
TO PURCHASE A PAIR OF SNEAKERS.
DEADSTOCK (DS)
WHEN A SHOE HAS NEVER BEEN WORN OR TRIED ON, IT HAS STAYED IN THE BOX SINCE YOU BOUGHT IT, FACTORY-LACED.
JORDAN’S (J’S)
DROP
DROP HAS TWO MEANINGS IN SNEAKER CULTURE: 1) A SNEAKER RELEASE. 2) THE DECISION NOT TO PURCHASE IN OTHER WORDS COP A PAIR OF SNEAKERS.
FIRE
A COOL GUY/GIRL’S WAY OF SAYING THE STYLE OF A SNEAKER IS NICE.
GRADE SCHOOL (GS)
SNEAKERS IN KID’S SIZING. MANY WOMEN REACH TO GRADE SCHOOL SHOES BECAUSE THEY ARE CHEAPER.
GRAILS
THE SHOES YOU MUST HAVE BEFORE YOU DIE. MOST GRAILS TEND TO BE RARE AND EXTREMELY LIMITED SNEAKERS.
HIGH-TOP
HIGH-TOPS WERE MADE BACK IN THE DAY FOR BASKETBALL, MADE TO GIVE ADDITIONAL ANKLE SUPPORT. THE HEIGHT OF THE SNEAKER IS ABOVE THE ANKLE.
HYPE
TOO MUCH ATTENTION/TALKING ABOUT A CERTAIN SHOE. IN MOST CASES “HYPE” CAUSES THE VALUE TO GO UP BECAUSE IT’S NOW HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER.
HYPEBEAST
SOMEONE WHO BUYS SNEAKERS OR STREETWEAR BASED ON WHAT IS “ON TREND” AT THE MOMENT.
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THOSE SNEAKERS YOU WEAR OVER AND OVER.
JUMPMAN
NICKNAME GIVEN TO MICHAEL JORDAN. ALSO THE NOW-ICONIC LOGO THAT WAS THE BRAINCHILD OF NIKE’S PETER MOOR, MOST FAMOUSLY DEBUTED ON THE TINKER HATFIELD DESIGNED AIR JORDAN III.
KICKS
A NICKNAME FOR SNEAKERS.
KOTD
KICKS OF THE DAY. A POPULAR HASHTAG ON INSTAGRAM #KOTD.
LIFESTYLE
SHOES THAT ARE MEANT FOR CASUAL WEAR AND NOT FOR PERFORMANCE.
LOWS
A SILHOUETTE THAT IS CUT BELOW THE TOP OF THE ANKLE OR LOWER.
MIDS
MIDS; HATED BY MOST, LOVED BY FEW, WORN BY ALL. WHEN IT COMES TO MIDS, SILHOUETTES LIKE THE DUNK AND AIR FORCE 1 ARE AN “ACQUIRED TASTE.” THEY WERE ALSO LATECOMERS TO THE PARTY, CREATED DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND.
MIDSOLE
THE MIDSOLE IS OFTEN CONFUSED AS THE SOLE. HOWEVER, IT IS IT’S
GLOSSARY
OWN INDEPENDENT PIECE OF THE DESIGN. THE MIDSOLE IS THERE TO STABILIZE AND PROTECT YOU ON IMPACT.
NDC
SHORT FOR “NIKE DOT COM”, AKA NIKE’S E-COMMERCE STORE.
NIB
SHORT TERM FOR “NEW IN BOX”.
OGs
ORIGINALS. NOT A RETRO OR RERELEASE, BUT THE FIRST TIME A SHOE RELEASED IS THE ONLY TIME A SNEAKER IS CALLED AN OG.
ON ICE
HAVING A PAIR “ON ICE” MEANS YOU HAVE A PAIR OF DEADSTOCK SNEAKERS THAT YOU HAVEN’T WORN YET.
PLAYER EDITION
A PLAYER EDITION SNEAKER IS ONE THAT IS DESIGNED FOR A SPECIFIC PLAYER, AND THEN OFTEN MADE AVAILABLE AT RETAIL.
QUICKSTRIKE (QS) BACK IN THE EARLY 2000’S IT WAS AN UNANNOUNCED RELEASE THAT HIT THE STORES QUICKLY AND IN LIMITED QUANTITIES.
RESELLER
SOMEONE WHO BUYS SNEAKERS (USUALLY IN BULK) WITH THE INTENT TO SELL THEM.
RESTOCK
WHEN A RETAILER ACQUIRED MORE OF THE SNEAKERS THAT RECENTLY SOLD OUT.
RETRO
VNDS
VERY NEAR DEADSTOCK.
WHITE-ON-WHITES NIKE AIR FORCE 1s.
A RETRO MODEL IS A SNEAKER THAT CAME OUT PREVIOUSLY THAT IS RELEASED AGAIN.
SAMPLE
GENERALLY SPEAKING, THIS IS AN EARLY MAKEUP OF A SHOE THAT’S MADE SO DESIGNERS AND RETAILERS CAN SEE UPCOMING MODELS. SAMPLES OCCASIONALLY TURN UP ON EBAY OR AT COMPANY SAMPLE SALES AND ARE SOUGHT AFTER IN SOME CIRCLES.
SIZE RUN
THE RANGE OF SIZES THAT A SNEAKER COMES IN.
TONAL
SNEAKERS THAT ARE ALL ONE COLOUR.
UPPER
ANYTHING REFERRING TO THE PORTION ABOVE THE SOLE.
UPTOWNS
A NICKNAME FOR THE MOST ICONIC SNEAKER OF ALL-TIME, THE NIKE AIR FORCE 1. THE TERM CAME FROM THE POPULARITY IN UPTOWN NYC HOODS LIKE HARLEM, WHERE THE WHITE-ON-WHITE AIR FORCE 1 LOW WILL ALWAYS BE A FAVOURITE SNEAKER.
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WINTERIZED
ALMOST EVERY SNEAKER BRAND OFFERS SPECIAL WINTERIZED SNEAKERS OR SNEAKERBOOT SILHOUETTES. THEY KEEP YOUR FEET WARM AND DRY AND AT THE SAME TIME THEY STILL HAVE THE DYNAMIC LOOK OF SNEAKERS.
YEEZY
KANYE WEST’S SNEAKERS. WHETHER A NIKE OR AN ADIDAS, IT’S SOMETHING KANYE HAD A HAND IN AND ARE SOME OF THE MOST HYPED, EXPENSIVE, AND SOUGHTAFTER SHOES.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ART DIRECTION & DESIGN & WRITING BY LINDSAY CLARKE / ART DIRECTION & PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRYAN CHONG / A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE INTERVIEWEES IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE: MICHELLE SIMAN/ RUBY BENSON / ANNA BEDIONES / MARY YOUNG / JOSEPHINE CRUZ / ZOË GEORGE / KATHERINE JOHNSEN
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NOTES 1. Turner, T. (2016). The Production and Consumption of Lawn-Tennis Shoes in Late-Victorian Britain. Journal of British Studies, 55(03), 474-500. doi:10.1017/jbr.2016.52
tory Behind The Shoes Of 2017’s Most Hyped Collab. Retrieved March 19, 2018, from http://www.hypeandstuff. com/off-white-x-nike-ten-brief-historybehind-2017-collab/
2. Oakes, B. (2017). Abstract: The Art of Design. United States. Radical Media & Tremolo Productions.
9. Engvall, N. (2017, October 06). A Beginner’s Guide to Sneaker Terminology. Retrieved March 15, 2018, from http://www.complex.com/ sneakers/2012/09/a-beginners-guideto-sneaker-terminology/
3. Kawamura, Y. (2016). Sneakers: fashion, gender, and subculture. London: Bloomsbury Academic. 4. Out of the box: The rise of sneaker culture. (2015). New York: Skira Rizzoli. 5. The Nike Air Huarache: A brief history. (2013, July 2). Retrieved March 19, 2018, from http://blog.size. co.uk/2013/07/02/the-nike-air-huarache-a-brief-history/ 6. The Complete History Of Yeezy. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2018, from https://www.presentedbyklekt.com/ blog/the-complete-history-of-yeezy_ i804 7. DeLeon, J. (2014, December 02). De-Mystifying the Cult of Common Projects. Retrieved March 14, 2018, from https://www.businessoffashion. com/articles/intelligence/de-mystifying-the-cult-of-common-projects 8. Han, A. (2017, November 10). OffWhite x Nike “The Ten”: A Brief His-
10. Engvall, N. (2016, October 20). The 30 Most Influential Sneakers of All Time16. Converse Jack Purcell. Retrieved March 14, 2018, from http:// www.complex.com/sneakers/2013/05/ the-30-most-influential-sneakers-ofall-time/converse-jack-purcell 11. Engvall, N. (2016, October 20). The Essential Guide to Sneaker Vocabulary. Retrieved March 15, 2018, from https://solecollector.com/news/ guide-to-sneaker-terms/ 12. Green, D. (2015, July 18). The 18 most important sneakers of all time. Retrieved March 15, 2018, from http://www.businessinsider.com/ the-18-most-important-sneakers-ofall-time-2015-7#16-nike-air-jordaniii-1988-3 13. Golliff, B. (2014, September 10). Sneaker Glossary. Retrieved March 15, 2018, from https://blog.finishline. com/2013/11/19/sneaker-glossary/
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14. Guest, R. (n.d.). Your definitive guide to sneaker slang. Retrieved March 15, 2018, from http://coveteur. com/2017/04/18/sneaker-guide/ 15. Howes, A. (2017, March 06). Nike Air Max 1: The Story Behind the Revolutionary Sneaker. Retrieved March 14, 2018, from https://www.highsnobiety.com/2017/03/04/nike-air-max1-history/ 16. Kim, H. (2015, March 18). Straatopedia: A Sneaker Terminology Guide » Straatosphere. Retrieved March 15, 2018, from https://straatosphere.com/ straatopedia-sneaker-terminologyguide/ 17. Shoe Game Glossary. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2018, from http:// theshoegame.com/Shoe-Game-Glossary.html 18. THE BEST WINTERIZED SNEAKERS OF 2016. (2016, November 07). Retrieved March 15, 2018, from http:// sneakers-magazine.com/the-8-bestwinterized-sneakers-of-2016/
REFERENCES 1. DeLeon, J. (2014, December 02). De-Mystifying the Cult of Common Projects. Retrieved March 14, 2018, from https://www.businessoffashion. com/articles/intelligence/de-mystifying-the-cult-of-common-projects 2. Engvall, N. (2016, October 20). The 30 Most Influential Sneakers of All Time16. Converse Jack Purcell. Retrieved March 14, 2018, from http:// www.complex.com/sneakers/2013/05/ the-30-most-influential-sneakers-ofall-time/converse-jack-purcell 3. Engvall, N. (2016, October 20). The Essential Guide to Sneaker Vocabulary. Retrieved March 15, 2018, from https://solecollector.com/news/guideto-sneaker-terms/ 4. Engvall, N. (2017, October 06). A Beginner’s Guide to Sneaker Terminology. Retrieved March 15, 2018, from http://www.complex.com/ sneakers/2012/09/a-beginners-guideto-sneaker-terminology/ 5. Green, D. (2015, July 18). The 18 most important sneakers of all time. Retrieved March 15, 2018, from http://www.businessinsider.com/ the-18-most-important-sneakers-ofall-time-2015-7#16-nike-air-jordaniii-1988-3 6. Guest, R. (n.d.). Your definitive guide to sneaker slang. Retrieved March 15, 2018, from http://coveteur. com/2017/04/18/sneaker-guide/
7. Golliff, B. (2014, September 10). Sneaker Glossary. Retrieved March 15, 2018, from https://blog.finishline. com/2013/11/19/sneaker-glossary/
14. Shoe Game Glossary. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2018, from http:// theshoegame.com/Shoe-Game-Glossary.html
8. Han, A. (2017, November 10). OffWhite x Nike “The Ten”: A Brief History Behind The Shoes Of 2017’s Most Hyped Collab. Retrieved March 19, 2018, from http://www.hypeandstuff. com/off-white-x-nike-ten-brief-historybehind-2017-collab/
15. THE BEST WINTERIZED SNEAKERS OF 2016. (2016, November 07). Retrieved March 15, 2018, from http:// sneakers-magazine.com/the-8-bestwinterized-sneakers-of-2016/
9. Howes, A. (2017, March 06). Nike Air Max 1: The Story Behind the Revolutionary Sneaker. Retrieved March 14, 2018, from https://www.highsnobiety.com/2017/03/04/nike-air-max1-history/ 10. Kawamura, Y. (2016). Sneakers: fashion, gender, and subculture. London: Bloomsbury Academic. 11. Kim, H. (2015, March 18). Straatopedia: A Sneaker Terminology Guide » Straatosphere. Retrieved March 15, 2018, from https://straatosphere.com/ straatopedia-sneaker-terminologyguide/ 12. Oakes, B. (2017). Abstract: The Art of Design. United States. Radical Media & Tremolo Productions. 13. Out of the box: The rise of sneaker culture. (2015). New York: Skira Rizzoli.
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16. The Complete History Of Yeezy. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2018, from https://www.presentedbyklekt.com/ blog/the-complete-history-of-yeezy_ i804 17. The Nike Air Huarache: A brief history. (2013, July 2). Retrieved March 19, 2018, from http://blog.size. co.uk/2013/07/02/the-nike-air-huarache-a-brief-history/ 18. Turner, T. (2016). The Production and Consumption of Lawn-Tennis Shoes in Late-Victorian Britain. Journal of British Studies, 55(03), 474-500. doi:10.1017/jbr.2016.52
“Women are the original curators of the world as far as creativity. We can go back with the creation of life. Some of the greatest ideas of man were always behind a woman.� -Kendrick Lamar
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