The intersection of community, sneakers, and sports is a fascinating relationship that has evolved over decades. From a sneakerhead standpoint, the acute shared interest in athletic footwear originates from a deep love of sports. Over time, this shapes a person’s character and personal style and eventually leads them to discover and connect with like-minded communities. As a woman whose life and career were shaped by this community, I’ve had a full-circle experience with the evolution and growth of sneakers and women’s sports. Growing up, it wasn’t as easy to find sneakers made for me. Finding a sports community or role models was even more difficult. Very few women I felt shared my obsessions with sneakers, fashion, and sports—specifically, basketball.
Today is an entirely different story. The crossover between women’s sports and fashion is much more prominent. We are seeing record-breaking viewership, more signature sneakers for professional athletes, more women’s exclusive performance sneakers, more athletes being amplified in beauty and fashion, more women in leadership, and more interest and conversation beyond the original fanbase. Last year, Deloitte reported a projected $1.3 billion in global revenue for women’s elite-level sports, a 300% increase from their previous valuation in 2021. It’s apparent that brands are seizing the opportunity, but Nike’s mission transcends that. Beyond creating some of the best sneakers for the best athletes in the world, Nike is committed to providing resources globally to create more pathways for girls to play sports. They have recognized an opportunity to empower future generations of women who will become athletes and leaders. “Young girls and women want to play,” says Nike’s Chief Impact Officer, Vanessa Garcia-Brito. “They just need to see that sport is for them. There’s a need for access to participation and creating opportunities.”
To me, it feels obvious. I’ve lived it, and I’m living it now. Sport has been my north star, and it’s led me to opportunities and experiences I could have never imagined as a young girl whose primary interest was putting shots up and wearing cool sneakers. I’ve been able to design a life around these interests and meet many other incredible women along the way, all of whom were led here through a similar journey of sport. In our own ways, we’ve contributed to giving back and opening up similar opportunities for future generations. Looking back, I wish I had the resources to guide me through this or examples of other women to open my eyes to the possibilities. For a long time, I was made to feel like these were just silly little hobbies—I was never going to go pro, so why bother? I realize now how much these interests shaped my journey and how fortunate I was to have grown up in North America, where sport is, at the very least, accessible. I wish I had access then to what Nike is doing now. The Swoosh continues to build on its longstanding global efforts to develop quality coaching resources, hosting coaching summits in Paris, Oregon, Manila, and, most recently, Tokyo.
While Japan is one of the world’s most advanced economies, it ranked 118th out of 146 countries in the Global Gender Gap Report 2024. Significant inequities create barriers for girls and women, preventing them from participating in sports. Given Nike’s history in Japan, they took the opportunity to activate in Tokyo alongside Play Academy by Naomi Osaka to celebrate its fifth anniversary this past October. This became the stage for Nike’s most recent Coach the Dream summit, where they launched a new, research-backed coaching guide specifically for coaches in Japan. They created this in collaboration with Laureus Sport for Good, a non-profit organization with the same mission of providing access to sports for underserved communities. This summit provided 50 local sports leaders with training to develop their coaching abilities, and 100 girls had an afternoon of sports and conversation with Naomi Osaka herself.
This coaching playbook focuses on trauma-informed coaching to equip coaches with specific skills to support young girls in their development. Osaka, famously vocal about mental health, acknowledges the strides made around mental health in sports. “I’ve definitely seen a lot of improvement,” Osaka says. “I know athletes will continue to talk about it because it’s as important as our physical health.” Osaka continues to be a shining example of a role model for young girls through her performance on the court, her business ventures off the court, her vulnerability about mental health, and her efforts through Play Academy.
A common sentiment within the conversations during this summit, but also a general consensus, is that kids need role models. “There are many more stories that show what can be done,” Garcia-Brito says.“And that’s one of the most powerful parts of bringing in not just the pro athletes, but also the broader voices of many different representations of athletes.” I left feeling inspired by the range of athletes we interacted with during the summit. The young girls in wheelchairs at the camp filled with joy to be around their friends. A teenage girl who found connection and purpose through sport (climbing and judo) despite losing her eyesight. A professional baseball player who took a liking to the sport because she liked the pink uniform. All of this to say, everyone has a different entry point to sport but the common thread is the positive benefits that contribute to their journeys.
The impact of hobbies like sports and sneakers as an entry point to becoming part of a community cannot be ignored and should be encouraged as early as possible. There are so many opportunities that have yet to be created. Never in my life did I think I’d share a court with Naomi Osaka, yet I found myself speaking face-to-face with her in Tokyo, bonding over a pair of sneakers.
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