Sole Sisters: Meet the Women Revolutionising the Sneaker Industry Right Now

Being a woman in the sneaker scene is no easy feat, but thanks to the ongoing efforts between brands and sneakerheads alike, it's slowly shaping up to become a much more welcoming place. Over the past year or so, we’ve witnessed women within both The Sole Womens’ community and the wider sneaker industry break boundaries, challenge perceptions and continue to drive change - so this International Women’s Day (and every day thereafter) we wanted to make sure to give them their flowers.

From spreading the love with branded events, and trailblazing first-of-its-kind projects to taking on the ultimate job of motherhood, here are just some of the industry highlights headed up by the gals this year. Spot anyone you recognise? Make sure to send this their way, and if there’s anyone we should have our eye on right now, be sure to let us know!

Long-time followers of The Sole Supplier will already be aware of TSW alumn Tegan, who is currently killing the freelance lifestyle. Having worked with the likes of Nike, eBay and Gucci, we’d say she’s fairly well settled by now, and we love seeing her art everywhere we look!

For her most recent campaign with the Swoosh, Tegan set up shop in Nike Town for an afternoon of super-cute workshops that were all about promoting self-love. Nike members could chill, paint pots and pick up custom pieces throughout the Valentine’s-themed event that supported the idea of growing together and nurturing relationships - concepts that are super-important for progression in any industry.

Never one to shy away from what needs to be said, you’ve probably seen Titi’s work before. The artist and designer has always been very vocal about making sneakers gender-neutral, and she’s often worked with brands in an effort to make the scene sit up and take notice. This year, as well as joining Sheaker magazine to create a calendar, Titi was tapped by phone case and accessories company, Skinnydip London: a huge step in getting the message out to the mainstream.

The collection resulted in seven designs, all championing the notion of more women in sneakers. Bold in both colours and messaging, the phone cases are all available to cop now, so head over to Skinnydip to join the movement.

We’re going to be honest with you here, writing a little article like this feels pretty arbitrary given the incredible book Sanne Poeze and Nav Gill launched last year, which was all about celebrating the incredible achievements of women within the sneaker scene. The first book of its kind, ‘She Kicks’ was more like a fully interactive experience, offering up exclusive content when you scanned various QR codes, and chances to win some of the incredible pairs mentioned in the content. Celebrating a whole host of female designers and collaborators, the book was set on making sure that the girls behind the scenes got the recognition they deserved, but by that logic, it's only right that the authors did, too.

Sneakerhead, model and activist Andrea Da Silva is always fighting the good fight when it comes to making the scene a better place for everyone, so we were over the moon to see her in JD’s latest Nike campaign. Having previously worked with the likes of Dove and eBay, and having also brought her body positivity messaging to the masses, Andrea is a breath of fresh air within the space, and we can’t wait to see what she does next.

Sneaker sisterhood co-founder Giulia hasn’t left our screens this year, and we’re not complaining. Having scored a place on the 30 under 30 Leaders in Sport list, Giulia is now a host at FIBA and the Euro League for Women, which has allowed her to combine her love for basketball with her presenting talents.

Giulia has also worked hard on creating a mentorship program for girls in the industry, which she explained to us when she joined us for an episode of TSW talks. Having worked in male-dominated environments like Formula One and Premier League football, Giulia says she has always been able to find opportunities to support younger cohorts coming through and look for opportunities to help them make a break in the industry.

Yoon continues to kill it on the sneaker scene with the launch of her latest AMBUSH pairs - and in the past year alone we’ve seen her put a spin on both the Air Adjust Force and Air Force 1. Cementing her position as one of Nike’s most important collaborators, the Swoosh let the designer dig into their archives last year in order to bring back the former model, which just goes to show how much the brand trusts her taste.

Indre is just one half of the dynamic duo that founded Broken Planet - a brand that has really exploded onto the streetwear scene over the last 12 months. Bringing a sustainable touch to street-style staples, Indre’s empire saw mindblowing queues for its first pop-up store, as well as a country-wide tour with Kick Game. Working with her boyfriend, Lukas, the two have grown the brand into a worldwide powerhouse since its creation in 2020, and put more emphasis on timelessness than buying into trends. Indre’s story as a female brand founder is seriously inspiring, and you can check it out in her episode of TSW Talks.

Jasmine Douglas is easily one of the coolest girls out there and runs Babes on Waves - a members club for Black, Brown and underrepresented creative minds. Over the course of her career, Jasmine has been super open about her struggles and insecurities, so we’re so happy to see her killing it every day.

Last year, the club joined forces with Office and Converse to take over Office’s Oxford St store, for a shop window display that celebrated each of the members and their efforts. Jasmine’s platform has also worked with the likes of size? and Reebok, helping to pave the way for girls to gain confidence and a seat at the table.

Julia is another woman who’s been killing it in the world of sneakers recently, having founded the platform Sneakers by Women. Julia’s platform is all about spotlighting the women who work behind the scenes to bring you all of your favourite products. The main goal of the platform is to create a community of female followers and male allies who are focused on making a change within the industry, so be sure to check it out.

Melody Ehsani proved that women really can have it all when she made one of her biggest announcements to date last year - she became a mother. Not content with having her own label, store and a Nike collab under her belt, Ehsani broke even more barriers with the announcement, which was welcomed by female sneakerheads everywhere. We can’t wait to see the most stylish baby in the world grow up!