By now, brands have understood (or are beginning to understand), the sneaker game is open to all. Yet the question remains constant: are women getting involved just for marketing or because there is a real awareness?
Women’s communities have been trying for years to bring the issues to light and help brands sharpen their sensitivity towards female sneakerheads. We asked some of them to tell us about themselves and explain what are the greatest difficulties and victories in their journey?
In the second episode we interview @sheakermag, a magazine dedicated to sneaker culture.
How was Sheaker Mag born?
I have always had an absolute passion for magazines – reading them, searching for new ones and eventually contributing to them. So, when my final year university project came round, I had to create my own. At the time, I was fascinated with the sneaker culture in London so I decided to focus the mag – what is now, Sheaker Mag – on all things sneakers for women.
What were your goals at the beginning of the adventure? Do you feel you have achieved them?
I really wanted to just use the publication to highlight all the amazing sneakers on offer for women and where to buy them in your size! But Sheaker Mag has grown into a space where we like to shout out some of the incredible work that designers, musicians and artists do within the sneaker industry. I can happily say, we still publish content on them and hope to do so for as long as the magazine lives on.
How do you approach your day-to-day and what are the contents you are most proud of?
We aren’t creating print magazines all the time, in fact, we only do so when we have the funds and time. So in between printing our issues, we try to post regular content on Instagram (hit up @sheakermag now!) for our followers.
To date, the piece of content I’m most proud of is our collaboration with Nike SNKRS where we curated a mini mag to supplement their London photography exhibition. It felt true to who we are, and what’s more, we got to work closely with the creatives in our community.
What was the biggest difficulty you encountered on your path within the sneaker game?
For anyone involved in making print magazines will know how challenging it can be. From production costs to brand partnerships, today it’s harder than ever to release new issues. But when we can, it’s so rewarding and our community really do come out and support us.
Do you think that the sneaker game is still a “man’s world” or has there been a change?
Since starting the magazine, the sneaker landscape has changed massively, and that is only in the space of a few years. I think, in general, when you look at how much the sneaker game has evolved over the decades, its only become more inclusive for women. That being said, there is still so much that can be done for the visibility of women driving the culture, those behind the scenes, designing shoes, researching new ideas and creating platforms.
How do you at Sheaker Mag see the sneaker game of the future, especially for women?
The one topic on the lips of everyone in the scene today is AI. New softwares have changed the way we see sneakers and how we can design them. If the future holds anything for the game, it’s more experimentalism in sneaker style, performance and comfort.
If you had to give one piece of advice to a young woman approaching the world of sneakers today what would it be?
Embrace all the unique, quirky, unusual things in the scene. Sneakers are renowned for being at the heart of subcultures and the way individuals express themselves. Once you make them your own, you can really cultivate your own style and identity.
