5 things that you may not have known about women and sneakers culture

The debate has never been as heated as in recent years: what went wrong in the relationship between women and sneaker culture?
Why still today in 2021 we find ourselves discussing an evident problem of inclusion, of products that do not reflect the tastes and needs of women, of a predominantly male community that finds it difficult to give due weight to women? And above all, why the only answers are limited to a catchy post on Instagram that loses its effectiveness after 24 hours? The questions - and consequently the confusion - are many.

To clarify, there is a need for ideas and the opinion of those who live this reality on a daily basis. W Sneakers Inquiry was born from this need, a real investigation that sees women as protagonists and witnesses. Together with them we will try to investigate the main problems, trying to find answers and possible solutions.But before starting, let's discover together 5 stuff that you may not have known about women and sneaker culture.

#1 The first sneaker designed specifically for women was created in 1982

During the 1980 Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) strike in New York City, 33,000 firm employees went on strike closing New York City subway and bus lines for 11 days. From 1 to 11 April, more than 3 million commuters were forced to find alternative way for getting to work. Women who walked to work in suits and sneakers became a symbol of the strike.

#2 Sheryl Swoopes was the first female athlete to have a signature sneaker

If in 1984 Michel Jordan signed his famous contract with Nike, the wait was slightly longer for the first female athlete. In 1995 Nike released the Air Swoopes, a silhouette created in collaboration with basketball player Sheryl Swoopes. The Air Swoopes soon became the object of the desire of many girls which is why it was revived for years until 2002.

#3 In 1998 Jordan Brand launched the first silhouette designed for women

Maybe also due to the success achieved by the Air Swoopes Jordan brand, a few years later decided to create the first Jordan silhouette designed for women. Simply nicknamed Women's Air Jordan, the sneaker was inspired by the Air Jordan XII and the new generation of pro players. After a long absence, Melody Ehsani re-proposed her version of 2020, in conjunction with the re-edition of the OG colorway and the first Jordan Brand women's clothing line.

#4 The first woman to collaborate with Jordan was Vashtie Kola

In 2010 the film director, DJ, creative consultant and designer Vashtie Kola on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Air Jordan 2 created her own version of the silhouette, becoming the first woman to have a sneaker in collaboration with the brand. The colorway of her Air Jordan 2 was inspired by Violette, her brand using a cold shade of lavender that almost tends to gray.

#5 From 2016 to 2020, the female audience increased by over 100% annually

According to StockX data from 2016 to 2020, the market share of female releases has grown by 1500%, with an increase in female customers of over 100% per year. Most popular silhouettes among women are those of Jordan Brand with more than 250,000 pairs sold globally in 2020, a 120% increase over 2019.