Women Are Dominating Sneaker Culture Right Now

The Wales Bonner Adidas Sambas will go down in history as one of the most sought after and mimicked shoes of the decade. So much so that today, flaunting the statement-making, classic silhouette is a fashion status symbol—the ultimate sign of taste and personal style in the world of hype. It shoe status aside, Bonner's distinctive silver sambas represent a larger industry shift: This year’s buzzy sneaker collaborations are all designed by women.

In the sneaker game, collaborations are not a new phenomenon—brands have long relied on fashion partnerships to create cultural relevancy. And, there's power in uniting people who normally operate in distinct fashion niches when worlds and audiences collide.

“Sneaker brands are getting smarter about who they collaborate with and how they collaborate,” says Jacques Slade, a Complex Sneakers writer turned YouTuber who has attracted 1.3 million subscribers by reviewing and analyzing sneakers. “This has resulted in more meaningful collaborations that go beyond just slapping someone else's logo on an already established product. It's a great place for the sneaker game to be and allows brands that have a true connection to sneaker culture to thrive instead of just taking part in the conversation because sneakers are hot right now.”

The tide in sneaker culture finally seems to be shifting in terms of who’s actually running the largely male-dominated industry. According to Elizabeth Semmelhack, a historian and senior curator at the Bata Shoe Museum, “When sneaker culture emerged in NYC in the 1970s, it was predominately male and when brands moved to make it global, the most desirable sneakers were only offered in men’s sizes effectively keeping women out.”

In fact, it wasn’t until 2010 that Vashtie Kola, a DJ and film director who was immersed in the New York City streetwear scene, became the first woman to design an Air Jordan. “Sneaker culture thrives on narratives, and it can only get better when more stories are told,” says Semmelhack. And that it did. Today, legacy sneaker brands have leaned into the world of female designers. “There are more women in the industry and sneakers are now a fully integrated part of women's fashion,” the historian explains.

In fact, the who’s who of womenswear have scored the biggest footwear deals as of late. Danielle Guizio created a perennially sold-out Puma Speedcat, and Sandy Liang’s gorp-core revival with Salomon continues to drive sales. “Sneaker culture is more about the people and relationships that have sprung up as a result of a shared love of shoes,” says Slade. “It's an appreciation for the art of craftsmanship and a respect for innovation. It's a shared reverence for the past and a collective nostalgia that is rooted in sport, fashion, and performance.”

If this definition of sneaker culture holds true, female fashion designers have surpassed the point of integration—they’ve taken over the space. Here, we highlight five women designers who are reshaping the industry in their own image, finding inspiration in their femininity, championing female talent, and building lasting success in a category that is constantly evolving.

Kahlana Barfield Brown x Nike Air Force One

These days, it’s not enough for sneakers to simply look cool or boast a high price tag. Instead, they need to tell a story. See Kahlana Barfield Brown’s “Yardrunner” Air Force One collaboration with Nike for proof.

An ode to her time in the Nike Yardrunners inaugural class—which serves as a sort of HBCU think tank for the performancewear brand—Brown used her undergraduate experiences at Howard University, and memories of her grandmother, who was a committed advocate for historically Black colleges, to inform her work. “It was like, ‘this has to be universal,’” the former InStyle editor says of her approach to the design process. “Everybody needs to be able to feel themselves through this shoe.”

Every detail takes on a different aspect of the HBCU experience. The shoe's premium grade leather, brick-inspired sock liner, and crimson shade symbolize Brown’s sorority (which was also founded at Howard University), and the coordinates of Howard University’s famous epicenter, The Yard, adorn the tip. There's a reason this Air Force is fully sold-out on the Nike website: It feels authentic without compromising wearability—a difficult balance to strike in a culture where virality is second to none. “I was just trying to be intentional without making a shoe that was gimmicky and also making a shoe that's classic because a lot of times a shoe will be dope, but it's like, 'Okay, but are you really wearing that?'”

Outside of paying homage to the rich legacy of Black colleges and universities, Brown’s success with Nike shows the impact programs like Yardrunners can have on tastemakers who don’t necessarily come from a traditional design background. “It's so important because there's so much talent out there,” she says. “And oftentimes if these programs are not established, that talent will get overlooked because people who look like me won't get the opportunity.” ‘

From makeup to styling, hair, and photography, the drop’s entire campaign uplifted up-and-coming creatives. “It gave the opportunity to really push that creativity out there and shine a spotlight on it,” says Brown about using her platform to champion diverse talent. “I feel [that] it's our responsibility when you have a seat and you're able to hire within, [to] do it because not everyone's checking for us. So we have to check for us.”

Cecilie Bahnsen x Asics

Across the Atlantic Ocean, wearability is also a guiding light for Cecilie Bahnsen's ongoing collaboration with Asics. A Copenhagen-based brand centered in romance, femininity, and whimsy, Cecilie Bahnsen is known for her handcrafted, luxury clothing that screams effortless cool. When the Japanese footwear brand approached the Scandinavian designer, she was excited by the challenge of serving women within the masculine sneaker scene.

“Once we landed that collaboration, it very quickly became this thing where now people are really going to get it,” she says. “You're a woman. You’re on the move. It's exciting but you also need to feel comfortable.” Signature Bahnsen codes, like an eye for craftsmanship and modern flair, are found in each release—from the collab's first-of-its-kind Gel-Quantum silhouette (designed with more modern details and mesh layers for comfort, Gel-Quantums are the everyday version of ASICS's iconic running shoes) transformed into sheer mary janes, to the 3D appliques on Gel Terrains and upcoming waterproof drop that fuses flower power and functionality.

“I've been very amazed with the creative freedom that we have been given and the boundaries that we also have been allowed to push,” the designer tells InStyle. "It's a continuous partnership so you have certain ideas that you maybe couldn't do on the first one, but then you can refine them and make them bigger and better for the second one.”

On the cusp of a fifth launch with Asics, Bahnsen’s journey underscores just how empowering a sneaker partnership can be for an independent designer. It provides both parties with a new skill set, increased resources, and relationships that may otherwise be difficult to cultivate as a growing ready-to-wear brand. “We've fallen in love with the process and what it adds to our universe. I hope there's still ways we can even turn it more on its head and keep evolving with it.” At her core, Bahnsen is the ultimate girl’s girl. “That is what you're looking for as a woman, something that's really designed for you.”

Bahnsen’s ability to use motherhood and womanhood as inspiration for a wearable, fun shoe is the kind of storytelling a true sneaker lover craves. “You never compromise on aesthetic, even if you look at function,” says Bahnsen of her latest ASICS release, which debuted at her FW25 show during Paris Fashion Week. “I wanted one that was fully rainproof [for] when I'm with my son,” says Bahnsen.  “You can wear it any day and you don't need to skip your trainer just because it's raining (which is often in Copenhagen). These everyday elements really feature into it.”

Danielle Guizio x Puma

Danielle Guizio of Guizio has the tenacity and fearlessness required to flip a $400 tax return into an eponymous streetwear label worn by your fave’s fave (most recently Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, and Alix Earle).

With her impressive number of brand collaborations dropped since 2014, Guizio’s journey acts as a masterclass in operating an independently-owned designer brand. Each project zeroes in on selling style versus selling fashion. Whether moto-chic sneakers or a cool Wildflower phone case, every Guizio release feels practical enough to wear around town but cool enough to field “where is your insert cool item from?” questions among friends. This equal parts practical and aspirational formula also thrives on social media. Carefully curated imagery of models and popstars prancing around the designer’s world in Speedcats and minidresses fill the brand’s Instagram feed.

The designer’s empowering take on Reebok's Club C silhouette set the stage for a number of footwear collaborations to come, including Guizio Club C cleats, dad-style Zig Kinetica 2.5 designs, and eventually an entirely new deal with Puma in 2024. Guizio even put her own spin on the brand's iconic racing shoe—the Speedcat—providing a sleek alternative to the reigning ugly sneaker trend.

“Each moment, every decision, every choice, encounter, person, lover, lesson, step forward, setback, heartbreak, failure, dream, breakthrough—are the small dots that make up the entirety of your life. Each experience flows into the next, connecting you to your next step,” reads the Instagram caption of the brand’s second Speedcat release. It’s true, every step Guizio takes feels intentional. The first Guizio Speedcat coincided with the opening of the designer’s Soho flagship store on Greene Street, and her childhood bedroom inspired the shoe box for her latest Puma launch.

Overall, Guizio’s willingness to dive in headfirst speaks to her self-confidence as a founder—and that she has the design skills to back it. When you believe in your brand, others—whether celebrities or legacy footwear brands—inevitably catch on.

Wales Bonner x Adidas

If there’s one shoe that has fully captivated women-led sneaker culture it’s the Wales Bonner Adidas Sambas. With accolades like the LVMH Prize, the British Fashion Council’s British Menswear Designer Award, and the 2021 CFDA International Men's Designer of the Year Award under her belt, Grace Wales Bonner’s resume is long—but her revival of the Samba is perhaps the career-defining moment for her brand.

Wales Bonner design signatures like 3D animal print and luxurious suede have defined women’s sneaker trends, season after season. “Wales Bonner is a cultural polymath who sees fashion as an intuitive means to understanding a multiplicity of perspectives, proposing a distinct notion of luxury, via a hybrid of European and Afro-Atlantic approaches,” Adidas wrote in a press release ahead of their first collection in 2020.

Bonner regularly draws on archival research to inform her work—the brand's croc-covered sambas serve as an ode to hip-hop culture in New York City. Despite being heavily influenced by the past, Wales Bonner has seized the moment. And each new release one-ups the next.

Designing for men while capturing the attention of women is no easy feat, but Wales Bonner’s crafty, cultured approach to modern staples has mass appeal. Where contemporary fashion has often become a regurgitation of styles from the past, Bonner’s Adidas sneakers carve out an approach that other designers can learn from—using colors and, in this case, an iconic brand logo, to evoke nostalgia while pushing the statement-making envelope with unexpected silhouettes and innovative fabric.

Today, five years after her first Adidas sneaker hit stores, there’s truly a Wales Bonner Samba for everyone—whether you prefer a classic white version like the “Studded Pack Cream” or a fashion phenomenon like the viral “Silver Metallic Gum.”

Sandy Liang x Solomon

Heavily influenced by her Lower East Side upbringing and her family’s Chinatown restaurant, Sandy Liang fuses nostalgia and femininity with pragmatism. Each look is truly for the girls, and this distinct voice has earned her a cult following.

For Salomon, the rich legacy of her Chinese-American heritage and mission to keep fashion fun was attractive. “Seeing the way that Sandy Liang holds her cultural history close to fuel her designs much like Salomon holds our French history dear is not only inspirational but easy to uplift and support,” a representative from Salomon tells InStyle.

Since the initial collection launched in 2023, Liang and Salomon have had their fair share of viral moments. Take, for example, the second collaboration between the downtown designer and the French footwear brand: the Salomon Speedcross 3 Ribbon, a black ballet sneaker with the signature Sandy Liang pink satin laces. The shoe single-handedly turned the balletcore trend on its head, adding a fresh perspective to the category.

You can always count on Liang styles to live up to the hype—and her Salomons sell out within minutes, restock, and then sell out again. They’re also a TikTok favorite. A quick search through the app will show a myriad of Gen-Zers unboxing the latest Liang Salomon haul, a baby pink and silver XT-Whisper. Each video feeds into her fandom and speaks to the brand loyalty that Liang has cultivated.

“Sneaker culture is multi-dimensional and doesn’t have to be tied to a sport or any one thing, and there’s more than enough space for playfulness, girlhood, florals, and Fairy Tale Pink to have a space in the sneaker world,” says the Salomon rep. Liang’s Salomon silhouettes highlight the impact women of color have had on the sneaker world.

“We hope that the innovation and newness found in Sandy Liang x Salomon inspires more female designers to continue to push boundaries and take up space. The response we’ve received is proof that sneaker culture wants to see more,” says the brand spokesperson.

As the industry continues to evolve, women designers are actively setting the tone for the future of sneaker culture.

Read the original article on InStyle