Sneakers: 5 collections for Pride 2021

Known as Pride Month, the LGBTQIA+ community is celebrated in the most colorful fashions imaginable during the whole month of June. This year, numerous sneaker brands have gone above and beyond simply putting a rainbow on their silhouettes. Inclusivity, representation, education were at the center of this year's vibrant themes, which, in this day and age, are more crucial than ever.

Whether you want to be flamboyant with colorful prints or more subtle tones with customisable options, there is a wide variety of styles available. So, in honor of the Pride Month, nss G-Club has put together a selection of the 2021 Pride sneaker collections from our favorite footwear brands.

Nike BeTrue

Nike's annual #BeTrue 2021 collection is centered on personalization, with the goal of truly embracing and including everyone. This pack is far from a basic rainbow, with the brightest hues of blue seen on Nike's newest Air Max Pre-Day model, to the minimal stripes of color swiped over the swoosh of the Nike Blazer Low. The sneakers, which broadly explore Pride's symbolism, include nine LGBTQIA+ flags as changeable patches added to the Blazer '77 Low, the Air Max Pre Day, the All Out Utility Slide, and the Infinity React Run 2, allowing you to rep your own gender identity and/or sexual orientation. Continuing their partnerships with national and local organisations that are at the forefront of LGBTQIA+ activism, these products are a means of giving back and supporting the community.

Converse

Converse is one of the most community-driven brands, with a strong focus on recognizing smaller creatives in everything they do, and this year's collection is a prime example of that. T.J Oslund created beautiful mural designs for four Converse All Star models and a pair of slides that reflect on the hardships and joys of discovering one's pride. Aside from the colourful patterns, the sneakers are mostly white/cream in appearance, with rainbow gradients and bright soles as the standout details. They, too, like Nike, feature two customizable choices, offering you to design a Chuck Taylor High in practically any vibrant color combination imaginable!

New Balance

New Balance, too, has opted to showcase playful illustrations and designs on a variety of apparel and footwear. This year's collection, in collaboration with Hong Kong artist Zoie Lam, is not only a reflection of Zoie's unique, quirky and kindhearted art style, but also an ode to embracing everyone in the LGBTQIA+ community. The Fresh Foam and 202 Slide are among the models adorned with Zoie's designs. The 574 and 57/40 take a more modest approach, with toned-down uppers featuring colorful graphic insoles. New Balance's collection, like many others, is primarily in support of key LGBTQIA+ organizations. GLSEN is one of those. New Balance is a supporter of GLSEN, an organization dedicated to advancing LGBTQ+ concerns and building safer school environments for queer students in elementary through high school.

Vans

No colour was too bold for Vans 2021 pride collection, with vivid rainbow tones and a range of materials splashed all over their most iconic shoes. Rainbow checkerboard patterns, repeat print executions, all-over patterns, and mixed material patchwork treatments were chosen for the Classic Slip-On, Era, Sk8-Mid, and UltraRange models. All these things embody the Pride spirit and self-expression in the most daring way possible. Vans will donate to four groups from across the world, including GLSEN, Casa 1, Where Love is Illegal e Tokyo Rainbow Pride, in order to support and elevate their personal stories and missions.

adidas

Dubbed Love Unites, adidas new campaign is all about expressing love, appreciation and respect for the LGBTQIA+ community. To commemorate how LGBTQ+ groups have built their own spaces for self-expression, a DIY aesthetic approach was applied to over 30 pieces of apparel and footwear. Some of adidas' most adorned sneakers, including the Nizza, Forum, UltraBoost 5.0 DNA, and AdiZero Pro V1, are dressed in a multitude of flowing layered geometric designs. More than merely a collection of products, the "Love Unites" campaign serves as a platform for adidas partners who are active members and supporters of the LGBTQ+ community.