Influential Women in Sneakers

What goes without much notice is the impact women have on the sneaker industry. Time and time again, women have either been behind the scenes of creating some of the most historically important footwear or they have been in the spotlight collaborating with brands like Nike and Jordan. Either way, I don’t think they are recognized enough for their contributions. We acknowledge their achievements in the moment of their success or sneaker release, but we don’t often go back and admire the great women and their work. These gifted women are an inspiration to men and women alike and have done phenomenal things in this space that include designing iconic silhouettes, remodeling historic silhouettes, telling stories through their collabs, and much more. With that being said and because we just passed the romantic holiday of Valentine’s Day, let’s give roses to some women who have collaborated and worked on some noteworthy sneakers.

Vashtie Kola

Vashtie Kola is a music director and DJ who has directed videos for some of the biggest artists such as Justin Beiber and Kid Cudi. Growing up in the hood in downtown Albany, New York, Vashtie grew up loving streetwear and sneakers that were more associated with a tomboy look. Her style and love for Jordans lended to her getting an opportunity to design her own pair of Jordan 2s for the silhouette’s 25th anniversary in 2010. This opportunity came through a friend who had become employed at Jordan Brand and suggested that Vashtie design her own Jordan after seeing a large Black Cement Jordan 3 cake at her birthday party that went viral on the internet. Before you know it, this great music video director and DJ, who is not a celebrity or athlete, became the first woman to get a Jordan Brand deal. Her “Lavender” Jordan 2 is an inspirational achievement for women everywhere and a remarkable achievement for anyone who isn’t an athlete or celebrity.

Aleali May

One of the women who Vashtie inspired was Aleali May. May was an 18 year old student from Los Angeles attending Columbia College in Chicago where she first saw Vashtie’s Jordan 2. Ready to form her own legacy, the future stylist, model, and designer would grow to have her own impact on the sneaker industry and specifically at Jordan Brand. It was former Nike and Jordan Brand employee Frank Cooke who saw to it that May bring her style to the Jumpman silhouettes. Cooke noticed her distinct look as a model, and since then, the two have worked together on five different Jordan models. Her first major achievement at Jordan was becoming the first woman to create a unisex sneaker at the brand. That unisex model was the Jordan 1 “Satin Shadow”, a highly sought after sneaker that goes for upward of $850 on the secondary market. Not to imply that the secondary market is an indication of how great a shoe is, but in this case, the price does indicate the consumer’s desire to have this iconic, well designed and modified sneaker.

After the success of the Jordan 1, Aleali would go on to design and tell her story on another Jordan 1, a Jordan 6, a Jordan 1 High Zoom Comfort, and recently, a Jordan 14. Certainly, Aleali May is in the pantheon of greats when it comes to designers outside of the brand having a significant influence at Jordan or Nike.

Melody Ehsani

Melody Ehsani is a designer from Los Angeles who created her own sports, lifestyle brand and owns a store on Fairfax Avenue and who recently became the creative director for Footlocker’s Women’s Business. The designer named her brand after herself, and now, that name brand is worn by female celebrities, athletes, and influencers who have high regard for Ehsani’s designs. More specifically, women such as Michelle Obama, Serena Williams, Beyonce, and more have worn Melody Ehsani apparel, jewelry, and footwear. Melody’s business is run by women, and it aims to empower and inspire women through the well crafted product. Of course, her skills could not go unnoticed by the footwear brands Jordan and Reebok. Ehsani’s collaborations with the brands consists of a few Reebok classics which include a Reebok Question Mid and a couple Jordans which include the Air Jordan 1 Mid ‘Fearless’ and the OG Air Jordan Women’s silhouette.

Within the last few years, Ehsani’s brand has grown in the sneaker industry, and her collabs with Jordan have gained much acclaim. Hopefully, Ehsani continues to work with these sneaker brands to keep creating product specifically for women. Like the other women who have been pushing for more feminine friendly products, Ehsani is opening the door for more women to walk through and into the sneaker design world.

Olivia Kim

The New York native Olivia Kim started out working in fashion PR at Laforce + Stevens. In 2002, after meeting Carol Lim and Humberto Leon, Kim began working with the two of them in retail at Opening Ceremony. She worked there for a better part of a decade before meeting Pete Nordstrom who is currently the co-president of the retail company Nordstrom. Pete gave Kim the opportunity to work at Nordstrom as the Director and VP of Creative Projects, a similar role and position that she played at Opening Ceremony. This new job forced Kim to move to Seattle and begin a new life away from New York. In Seattle, Kim worked with multiple major brands for in-store drops and installations and would work with Nike to facilitate in-store drops at various Nordstrom locations. Eventually, Nike would ask Kim to work with them to design a collection of her own which came to surface in 2019. The collection was called the “No Cover” collection referencing the nightlife of New York. Within that collection Nike allowed Kim to put her spin on five of her favorite silhouettes, the Air Force 1, the Air Footscape, the Air Max 98, the Air Mowabb, and the Air Jordan 4. These sneakers were important to Kim as she grew up in the 90s in New York where there was a mashup of different cultures and styles at the time.

Her designs are a reflection of her growth and experiences in downtown New York, and the sneakers carry that nostalgia while at the same time being wearable in this current era. Olivia Kim nailed this collection, and hopefully, we will be seeing her produce more collabs with Nike in the near future. Her uniqueness and impact is inspiring to everyone who is looking to grow in this space of fashion and creativity.

Yoon Ahn

Designer and creator of AMBUSH, Yoon Ahn, is one of the most influential designers in the world. Born in South Korea and growing up in both America and South Korea, Yoon would study graphic design in Boston and eventually give birth to AMBUSH in 2008 with her husband. After creating a catalog and being especially skilled in designing jewelry, she became Dior’s Men’s Jewelry Designer in 2018. Since then, her recent ascension in designing sneakers for Nike has propelled her into “rare air”. Yoon Ahn is becoming a household name among sneaker people who were not aware of her previous work. Her first project with Nike involved creating an AMBUSH x Nike capsule of apparel and a modified Air Max 180 which included a zip up shroud that referenced Gary Payton’s Air Zoom Flight.

But that was just the beginning for what was and is to come from Ahn and Nike. After the success of the capsule, Nike would request Ahn’s skills to work on designing a dunk. Within the midst of the hype over the last couple years, she didn’t just collaborate with Nike to create a new dunk colorway, but she instead reinterpreted the historic silhouette in her own way and style by restructuring it. She touched the dunk in a unique way by enlarging and extending the Nike swoosh, restructuring the heel, changing the material of the laces, and adding AMBUSH references on the tongue and heel. All of these features separate the AMBUSH dunk from the rest of what we’re used to seeing within this dunk wave over the last couple of years.

Now, Ahn has another exciting project with Nike that we will hopefully see in the near future. Yesterday, she revealed an OG Nike basketball sneaker that she teased last year, the Nike Air Adjust Force. This basketball silhouette has not been released since it first entered the market in 1996, and it looks like Ahn has added her golden touch to it. Yoon Ahn is a very talented woman, and we look forward to all of her future work, especially in footwear.

Credit for all images goes to Hypebeast and Vanity Fair.

Source information credit goes to the following:

Hypebeast, Vanity Fair, Sneaker Freaker, Sole Collector, Complex, Kicks On Fire, Forbes, Highsnobiety, Hypebae, and The Undefeated.