SneakHxr Fest Spotlights: Celebrating Female Design

The conversation surrounding sneakers is finally beginning to make a shift towards further inclusivity on all levels of the industry thanks to globally acclaimed designers and local community leaders. These voices and projects are sparking the change that the industry has desperately needed for far too long. 

In honour of international women’s day, read about some of the pivotal projects that have made their mark in the footwear industry:

Aleali May x WMNS Air Jordan 14 Retro Low 'Fortune' - Aleali May: Marking Aleali May’s fifth collaboration with Jordan Brand, the Air Jordan 14 is heavily tied to the designer's heritage and experiences growing up from the jade hits throughout to the gold shank plate which marks a resemblance to jewellery her grandmother gifted her. 

Cactus Plant Flea Market x Nike Vapormax - Cynthia Lu: Designed by Cactus Plant Flee Market founder Cynthia Lu in 2019, this rendition of the Nike Air Vapormax was one of the leading projects that pushed CPFM’s unique design language into the limelight.

The main release was minimal, with an additional light-up pair being limited to 25 pairs. 

AMBUSH x Nike Dunk High - Yoon Ahn: When Yoon Ahn was announced as an official Nike and NBA collaborator, it was a momentous moment with the founder of AMBUSH being the first female to collaborate with both parties. 

Released in several classic, yet distinctive, colourways the AMBUSH x Nike Dunk High features a signature extended Swoosh on a premium leather upper.

sacai x Nike LDV Waffle - Chitose Abe: Founded in 1999, sacai’s heritage stretches much further back than just their collaborative work with Nike. Founded by Japanese fashion designer Chitose Abe, whose been honing the design language, first collaborated with Nike in 2015 with Nikelab featuring the Air Max 90 and Nike Dunk High. 

However, it was in 2019 when sacai and Nike released the LDWaffle that the Japanese brand received the gratification it deserved. Featuring the signature layered midsole double lacing, every colourway since the 2019 debut has been met with critical acclaim.

Aleali May x Air Jordan 1 ‘Califa’ - Aleali May: A highly coveted release by the LA native, May created her take in the Air Jordan 1 Zoom CMFT to celebrate Women’s History Month. Named after a fictional Black warrior queen, the sneaker is inspired by the colours of Hillcrest Elementary School and Inglewood High School, where she performed on the drill team.

Nike Mag - Tiffany Beers: One of the most iconic pop-cultural sneakers of all time, the Nike Mag stands in the pantheon of footwear. Originally designed by Tinker Hatfield, it was Tiffany Beers that played a crucial role in developing the shoe to make its highly anticipated return. The Nike Mag holds many records, including being the first sneaker to be designed specifically for a movie. 

New Balance 327 - Charlotte Lee: A Manchester local, Charlotte Lee’s New Balance 327 first hit the shelves in 2020 as part of a collaboration with Casablanca. It was around 2019 and 2020 that New Balance saw itself rocket into mainstream popularity around the same time, with the then newly introduced 327 silhouette acting as a breath of fresh air for New Balance. 

Vashtie x Air Jordan 2 - Vashtie Kola: The first woman to collaborate with Jordan Brand, Vashtie Kola first began paving the way for women in the sneaker industry. Featuring a distinctive violet colourway, the sneaker became an instant classic, standing for an important message. 

Fenty x Puma - Rihanna: First joining forces in 2014, the partnership between Puma and Fenty saw Rihanna become the global ambassador for women's training and serve as the Puma women's creative director. Releasing a myriad of original silhouettes, the partnership is rumoured to be returning in 2023. 

To see more about Kick Game's International Women's Day celebrations, make sure to follow us on Instagram and visit us in-store to see the work from the featured designers displayed.

For everything else, keep it Kick Game.