Diversity In The Sneaker Industry: A Chat With Pavan Shah

2020 has forced many of us to reflect on our lives, our communities and our actions to see how we can better ourselves and learn more about diversity (or in some cases, lack thereof) and social justice. At The Sole Supplier and The Sole Supplier, we're keen to push ourselves beyond our comfort zones and look deeper into the community we've created to learn how our peers feel represented in the sneaker fashion world.

We had a chat with Pavan Shah, an active member of our Facebook group, to get an inside look at his experience in the industry…

How and when did you get into sneakers?

I was always fascinated by sportswear brands from a young age, especially Nike… mainly because my mum would never let me have them, but I would say it was my early twenties that I properly “got into sneakers”.

It was 2008, while I was at university, in my second year that I properly discovered sneaker culture and streetwear. I lived in Leamington Spa and there was a store called Kong that I would visit practically every spare moment I got! Luckily, I had a job at the university library which meant I didn't blow all of my student loan. I was introduced to brands such as Supra, Nike SB, Stüssy, Diamond Supply to name a few and I was hooked.

Fast forward to 3rd year and it was dissertation time. I wasn't the best with essays and I thought if I wrote one on my newfound passion then, firstly, I would do better and secondly, the professors would find it harder to disagree with what I was saying. I was doing a degree in classical civilisation, and so my dissertation was on how the classical world has influenced the modern world.

Once I had covered the Roman Toga and how clothing portrayed the status of women in the ancient world, it was time to get to the good stuff! My final chapter was on the modern world where I discussed Versace's use of Medusa, <i>that</i> hairpin dress and general Greek motifs he used. Oh, and a little brand called Nike.

The goddess of victory, Nike. The Nike Swoosh wrapped around your feet like her wings. Often Nike assimilated with other gods such as Athena, so how could I not write about Michael Jordan? When he designed the Air Jordan, his status rocketed to that of a modern Greek god.

I also wrote about the Jeremy Scott collaboration that was due to be released the summer of 2010. The JS Wings, literally wings in a pair of shoes, like Hermes' winged sandals. Even in their marketing material the model struck similar poses to art and statues of the god. Seeing as I'd written about it, I HAD to have them, so I jumped on a train to London to find myself a pair. I think I eventually found them in the Selfridges Office and here is where the true obsession began.

Over the years the obsession has grown stronger. Social media growth and working in the fashion industry exposed me to a LOT of sneakers. Being in London meant I visited sneaker stores like Size? and Foot Patrol every day on lunch breaks. My current role has led to work trips to New York seeing and meeting people from the culture there and trips to LA, visiting Fairfax Avenue and La Brea have also made this habit harder to kick!

Do you feel represented in the sneaker community?

I would say yes and no.

I think men saturate the sneaker market so for women there could be a LOT more representation!

In terms of us ageing sneakerheads, I feel like sneakers are very much a young person's game and that as I get older I should dress more age appropriate. How about no! I can finally afford all the clothes and sneakers I wanted when I was younger so I will age disgracefully by society's standards.

What do you want to see more of in the sneaker community?

Well aside from more older sneaker influencers, I think there are some more toxic parts to the culture which we should all work to help improve.

I have seen a lot of people living beyond their means because they must have the latest shoe, and it becomes a difficult situation to get out of. We should embrace more mental health awareness, too. New sneakers can make you very happy, but also the pursuit can lead to many issues that don't bring out such positive feelings and emotions: the “L”, the credit card bills etc. I keep hearing, “stop being so salty”, but if we're so obsessed that we take it so personally we don't have the opportunity to pay for a shoe, and we have the same feeling a week later about a different shoe, maybe there's a bigger issue?

On a more superficial note, I would like to see more advice on full-body styling. I see so much focus on the feet, that people forget about the rest of their outfit!

Do you think the community can do more to support the BLM movement?

I believe in the phrase “Black Lives Matter” and I think we all need to adopt an anti-racist view if we are to progress at all. The key to this is education and a lot of self work to dismantle all oppressive systems. I have seen very recently a “want-to-sell post” on the Facebook group where the seller had a racially offensive doll in the background of his post which is wholly unacceptable. When questioned about it they clearly did not care. It's attitudes like this that have to change.

If Nike is openly embracing icons such as Colin Kaepernick then I see no reason why the rest of the community can't.

It also doesn't stop with Black Lives Matter, other campaigns such as “BE TRUE” also should be championed by the community so we can all strive for equality.

How important is the history of sneaker culture to you?

Based on how I got into sneaker, via the study of the ancient world, the past is very important!

Over time cultures and origins get diluted as we become exposed to other outside influences and innovations, but it's all building blocks and one thing leads to another. For me, learning about influences makes you appreciate a product even more. A lot of what I see now is based on hype and reselling, so it's good to just take a step back and enjoy the shoes. As shoes are re-released i also feel a connection to the younger me, and there is a whole new generation who are now enjoying the same shoes I did when I was younger.