Black-Owned Sneaker Brands

Reprint from Truth Be Told News Service 

Black-owned sneaker brands are building footwear companies across running, performance, basketball, streetwear, and lifestyle categories. Some are designing shoes around the biomechanics of women’s feet. Others are developing performance running shoes, independent basketball sneakers, and fashion-forward footwear. The global sneaker market was valued at approximately $79 billion in 2020 and is predicted to reach $120 billion in 2026.

With such tremendous growth, it is not a coincidence that sneakers are a big business. There is a profound sneaker culture within the Black community, where tennis shoes and streetwear footwear are highly coveted possessions. It’s time that Black-owned sneaker brands received the love and support from their community the same way that the usual juggernaut sneaker brands do. Here are Black-owned sneaker brands that are currently operating and producing footwear.

SIA Collective: SIA Collective, short for Somewhere In America, is an independent footwear and apparel company founded by designer Devlin Carter. Carter began by customizing sneakers before developing his own footwear. SIA has since built a collection spanning lifestyle, streetwear, and performance-inspired designs.

Enda: Proudly made in Kenya, Enda sneakers are the first Kenyan running shoes. Enda means “Go!” in Kiswahili, a language spoken in Eastern and Central Africa. The brand started in 2016 and has become a leader in running essentials, making all of its shoes and athletic apparel in Africa while supporting local Kenyan communities, ensuring fair labor for its workers, and reducing the brand’s carbon footprint. Founded by Navalayo Osembo and Weldon Kennedy, the shoes draw on Kenya’s distance-running heritage and have been developed with input from Kenyan athletes. In 2024, NVH Studios, a fashion and lifestyle group co-founded by Ghanaian-born entrepreneur Nana Baffour, acquired Enda.

Saysh: Founded by Allyson Felix, the most decorated track and field athlete, Saysh is a community-centered lifestyle brand for and by women. In July 2019, she became Athleta’s first-ever sponsored athlete. This was the first time she felt seen as more than an athlete. But Athleta didn’t make racing spikes for Olympic sprinters. Alongside her brother, Wes, Allyson decided to find a brand. Their mission is to create a future in which inequality is undermined by female creativity and athleticism. The Olympic champion develops its shoes around the anatomy and biomechanics of women’s feet, with a collection spanning lifestyle and performance footwear.

FINI: Fini is a New York-based Ethiopian-American brand specializing in a broad range of footwear. The brand debuted in 2018 with an enthusiasm to introduce a luxury aesthetic while also allowing customers to express their individuality via detachable pieces. Fini products are lifestyle products engineered and designed for maximum comfort and durability without forgoing the luxury aesthetic. Their shoes are innovative multi-dimensional products that cater to all types of people and occasions from day to night, weekdays to weekends. Founded by Dami Adepoju, its collection includes low-top and high-top styles designed for everyday wear and travel.

 Ninety-Nine Products: Designer Jeff Henderson founded Ninety-Nine Products to make thoughtfully designed footwear accessible to a broader range of consumers. The independent brand combines performance technology, sport and cultural influences across its footwear. Its designs have included The Point performance running shoe and The Carver lifestyle sneaker.

PerryCo: Lifelong sneakerhead Brittney Perry grew up facing a market saturated with sneakers made for and by men. With few options marketed to women then, Brittney resorted to buying men’s sneakers but felt the need for something more inclusive. In 2018, Brittney launched PerryCo shoes to create a genderless sneaker that can appeal to all styles and identities. The brand is known for breaking gender barriers and providing versatile, stylish options for all customers. The Chicago-based company produces sneakers designed to be worn across traditional gender categories, along with apparel and accessories.

FCTRY LAb: FCTRY LAb is a Los Angeles-based footwear company co-founded by sneaker developer Omar Bailey and investor Abhi Som. Bailey has more than two decades of footwear development and manufacturing experience and previously led the Yeezy Innovation Lab. FCTRY LAb now combines its own sneaker collections with design, prototyping, and manufacturing capabilities for other creators and brands.

Nagast Footwear: Born in the Bronx, Tarik Edmonson had a passion for all things related to fashion from a young age. He had always dreamed of starting his own business, and points to Reginald Lewis as a major source of inspiration. Nagast Footwear designs draw from African and African American history and culture. Its collection incorporates historical figures, Pan-African colors, and cultural symbols across high-top, low-top, and athletic-inspired footwear. Nagast is building a community of empowered entrepreneurs who’re encouraged to push boundaries of their creativity and explore new niches in an ever-growing global market.

Why Should You Support Black-Owned Sneaker Companies? Something that ties many of these businesses together is the desire to spread inclusivity and other positive messages. Some of the Black entrepreneurs listed grew up in poverty and struggle, while others were frustrated by a market dominated by a majority who saw no reason to cater to anyone else. Supporting Black-owned sneaker companies is about more than finding a style that works for you. It’s about promoting movements for social justice and diversity through a product that appeals to a wide audience. The success of those companies continues to inspire other entrepreneurs! - TBTBIZ