By, Chia Hui Yi, Senior Product Manager, Ox Street
By mixing subcultures such as hip hop, graffiti artists, and skateboarding, sneaker culture is a trend that continues to thrive with audiences of all ages. Traditionally, the estimated US$86.7M sneaker industry has been guilty of marketing sneakers to men because of the origins of sneaker culture. Over the years, this lifestyle became ingrained in people’s minds which made change difficult. But progress is finally being made.
The challenge originated from people in the community maintaining the status quo and fixed perception of the type of people who make up these communities. Thankfully the rise of diversity, equity, and inclusion has sparked much-needed change, but this is just the beginning. We recently spoke with some of the women within Ox Street’s sneakerhead community, many of whom believe that greater inclusivity is greatly needed in the sneaker space.
What female sneakerheads want
Asia’s sneaker scene is an excellent example of a thriving and progressive sneakerheads community. As a result, brands are releasing country and region-specific releases such as the Air Jordan 4 “Manila” in the Philippines, and more recently, the ‘Wabi-Sabi’ Nike Air Max 1s, released on Air Max Day across the Asia Pacific and Latin America.
However, nothing is as disappointing as finding out these high-profile releases don’t come in your size – and such is a common experience for female sneakerheads. The rise of androgynous and gender-inclusive fashion highlights why the sneaker industry must also adapt to these consumer demands, sentiments echoed by both ourselves and women in our community.
One of the biggest challenges most women face in the sneakers space is the lack of suitable sizes. This can be due to numerous reasons – one being that producing full size runs takes huge investments from sneaker brands. Therefore, one of the most significant progressive changes that we need to push forward is replacing the outdated term “women’s sizes” with sizes for all. Think about it for a moment; every member of the sneaker community, regardless of their gender, is attracted by the design and story behind the item.
Sizing is just one of many examples that female sneakerheads struggle with. Sneakerhead culture can be found in real-life events and social media. For example, many gather in physical spaces such as Sneaker Con in Singapore or connect on platforms such as Instagram, but women in both communities are united in calling for equality and greater respect.
Just like their male counterparts, female sneakerheads want to make an impact in Asia’s sneaker culture. They, too, appreciate the silhouettes of sneakers, understand the value of sneakers, and how certain kicks have evolved through time. They also want to try out new styles beyond what may traditionally be deemed feminine. Is this change possible? Yes, and we’re already seeing more brands take the necessary steps towards creating a more inclusive sneaker culture.
Taking the first steps towards inclusivity
Although the sneaker industry has been trying to inject inclusivity into the sneaker scene, not all have done so successfully. Some brands released women-specific colorways in pink and feminine silhouettes. Despite these best intentions, the sneakers delivered exclusion rather than inclusion. Women want exactly what the industry has been releasing for men, but in inclusive sizes rather than tweaks that had to be made especially for women.
We see women sneakerheads coming out to speak for the community, ranging from the _WomenInSneakers podcast and Sherlina’s TikTok account to the awesome The IG page, “If I Can’t Wear Sneakers.” These online communities are providing women with a safe space to ask questions and get information about drops, clarification about terms, etc.
However, this exclusivity might bring about more stratification in the long term. At Ox Street, we provide automatic sizing conversions on our app. While it may seem small in the grand scheme of things, we hope this would help simplify and ease the buying experience of our female customers.
Creating a sneaker culture for all
The first step towards progressive change is awareness. Technology plays a crucial role in enabling greater accessibility to informative and valuable content where women can proudly share their sneakers collection. In addition, being vocal about inclusivity is already influencing Gen Z audiences, who are already becoming more open-minded.
Inclusivity will undoubtedly improve in the coming years as contributions from the wider sneaker community deservedly get thrust into the spotlight. But there is so much more we can do together. We need more male and female voices to share their experiences and bring in more collaborations, designs, and campaigns to the space by women.
Demand is already high, so if brands can do their part by celebrating inclusive sizes and re-thinking the advertising behind sneakers that have historically targeted male audiences, the entire sneaker community can win.
There is hope yet for Asia’s sneaker scene.
As someone with a thing for white sneakers, my favourite sneakers are Stan Smith whites. I’ve been looking for a pair of white NMDs. As you can tell, I’m not into the popular ones like Air Jordan’s or Yeezys, but the beauty of sneaker collecting is that you go for what you love; nobody should tell you what to go for.
My ultimate mission is to build a sneaker culture that empowers sneakerheads, regardless of their gender, to buy and wear different styles of sneakers to express their unique identity. When it comes to sneakers, it doesn’t matter what you work, your background, or where you live. A love for sneakers brings people of shared interests together.
To create this inclusive culture and bring my vision to life, we need greater awareness of the plights of female sneakerheads and for brands to take sincere steps to address gaps. With Ox Street, I hope we can empower more people to express themselves freely, enable more to tell their own stories, and, more importantly, bring people together! Will you join us?
