NUTHIN' BUT A SHE THANG!

It’s been a struggle, according to Arsen, “it’s taken us a lot longer than expected to establish ourselves. We thought the major companies would give us much more support and use us a vehicle to test product and offer more exclusives, but they have not responded the way we would have hoped. But Kendo has made a commitment to do this and we have not ventured from our original plan.”

Additionally, one of the major dilemmas that these all-female shops encounter is that the true female sneakerhead still wants that men’s shoe. Which is why Laces and Kendo have now begun carrying smaller men’s sizes in addition to the women’s kicks. As the market continues to grow, companies will hopefully begin to realize that women’s shops can serve as platforms to test products, launch initiatives and create collaborations. It’s an extraordinary feeling as a female to walk into a shop without the uber-snobiness or high level of intimidation that you might feel at other premium shops like Alife or Supreme.

Back when Alife first opened up, not only was it impossible to find the place, I remember feeling rather strange just asking for a size 5. While it’s absolutely not the same atmosphere at those shops anymore, I would love to see more shops like Kendo and Laces pop up.