There are so many people who solely believe that women only like rocking heels, but have you checked the #ChicksOnFire hashtag? Women are just as big of shoe collectors as guys. But there is a lack of women who are actually sneaker designers. Sneakers are a huge part of the Hip-Hop culture since RUN DMC “My Adidas”, but the sneaker industry is also male dominated just like the Hip-Hop industry. Here are two ladies that have had the opportunity to design their own shoes.
Sophia Chang is a New York based designer and illustrator. Change founded ESYMAI, her own multidisciplinary design agency that specializes in marketing, art curation, web design and more. She is crazy creative and she has worked with multiple brands like Adidas, Foot Locker, Red Bull, Urban Outfitters and Nike. Chang is featured in Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture book. She was even a Social Collection Director with Puma. She worked internally to develop a seasonal collection. One of the shoes was called the “Basket Classic” which had the “Brooklynite moniker on the side panel and graphics on the inside of the shoe.
On the West coast is where Melody Ehsani resides. Ehsani designs jewelry, shoes, and other products. She has an on-going collaboration with Reebok. Her collections are filled with colorful, feminine, and edgy kicks what will make any fashion killer look twice. Her shoes are limited edition so it is very hard to cop a pair but any lady that is into sneakers have at least one of the many pair that have dropped. Apparel was also produced to go along with the collections. The clothing includes sweaters, shirts, track pants and shorts. Women who love cute streetwear should definitely check out ME X REEBOK collections. Check it out here :
http://melodyehsani.com/collections/m-e-x-reebok
Style can change from coast to coast but there is nothing better than knowing that women a thriving in the shoe industry. If you are in the ATL area, check out The Rise of Sneaker Culture at the High Museum of Art
http://www.high.org/Art/Exhibitions/Sneaker-Culture. The exhibit ends on
August 14.
Photo credit: Complex