Something to Be Proud Of: Pride’s Relationship with Sneakers

Every year in June, brands come “out the closet” for Pride drenched in glitter and sprinkles (of the rainbow variety, of course). The LGBTQIA2S+ community is put on display from flavors of the week to—my personal favorite—the sneaker Pride releases. (Can you sense my sarcasm?). I’ve often wondered what is behind the rainbow taffeta curtain of these brands and the products they put out. Don’t get me wrong; visibility is important, representation is important, and being the most authentic version of ourselves is important, but do they really see me? Do they really see us? Iâ€m a self-proclaimed, highly avid sneaker collector, but if you ask me how many of those sneakers are Pride-related, I will come up empty-handed. So what’s the recipe for success here? How can we move the needle forward in an impactful way and push the future to be one that truly reflects our community?

I knew I had to hit the streets to get some of these answers, so I conducted a survey within the LGBTQIA2S+ community. What I found out was as surprising as bedazzled glasses on Elton John: of the 60 people who participated, only 9.3% owned Pride sneakers, yet 42.6% found Pride Month to be very important, and 83.3% were interested in sneaker culture. In addition, some words and phrases that constantly popped up in the comments section were “performative,” “forced,” “exploitive,” and “let’s slap a rainbow on it and call it a day.”

Image via adidas

This seems to be the consensus among the members we asked. For Erika, “Pride theme sneakers are lazy, in my opinion. These sneakers make me feel like all we are is rainbow dollars. I think brands can do more and be more creative than a rainbow/pride flag. Tell a story, pick a great queer person in history, let a non-famous queer person collab!”

The truth is we are as diverse as the flags that represent our community. Some of us can’t leave the house without the rainbow behind us, some leave the rainbow for special occasions, and then there are those like myself and the brightest piece of clothing in my wardrobe is a purple sweater I bought last year, daring to step outside of my comfort zone.

So, where do we go from here? We want representation in the design process from designers to storytellers and everyone else in between. We want more education around various issues and the community as a whole, and we most definitely want proceeds to be poured into our community. At this point, weâ€re begging brands to build genuine connections with those on the ground doing the work and give an opportunity to those who identify as LGBTQIA2S+ to lead and control our narrative because weâ€re not just a box to be checked off once a year. This can be done by creating collaboration with LGBTQIA2S+ artists, athletes, activists, and more, sharing our experiences through innovations and more thought-provoking designs that tell a story that hasn’t been heard.

Image via Converse / Nike

“LGBTQIA2S+ is more than just a rainbow, and proceeds should be at least partially donated to an important cause that helps the community,” says Ash, Solesavy member. “Thereâ€s nothing wrong with simple designs, but you canâ€t just slap on a rainbow and say “Happy Pride!” Iâ€m done with that. I havenâ€t bought anything pride-related from brands for this specific reason.” Many responses from our survey reflected this sentiment, specifically calling for more real support towards the Transgender community, legal protection, healthcare, anti-poverty and more.

The LGBTQIA2S+ community is a community of human beings no different than our heteronormative counterparts. We want to be seen for who we are 365 days of the year. We as a people have been abused, assaulted, and cast aside, and yes, progress has been made, but the wheel is still spinning like the rainbow-colored wait cursor on our Apple laptops.

Image via Reebok

An anonymous response to our survey shared: “We need to see more ongoing support and inclusion of the LGBTQIA2S+ beyond pride vs. what it seems to be now – very seasonal.” Another anonymous member added, “emphasize education, awareness, and representation.”

Lastly, the community also needs allies 365 days of the year. When I reached out to Risa, her voice as an ally echoes the sentiment of the LGBTQIA2S+ community: “Brands have a tendency to hijack identities and feign allyship for profit; only to drop the Pride flag once the month ends. Creative space should be given to members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community so their voices are heard.”