Hey! Sneakher Club!
I guess, let me start by introducing myself, I am JeNay Silva, the CEO of HER Collective Sole.
I’m the Founder of Sneaker Wellness, an industry we created for the brand to thrive in.
Backstory, I am an certified Ergonomist and a Stott Pilates Trainer but, as an optimal wellness
woman I didn’t see any recognizable concepts or brands that were opening up that space for
women or future women to come into and feel like they belonged.
HER Collective Sole is a niche company and women’s lifestyle brand that socially empowers
women in/wearing sneakers while connecting the dots of foot health and bodily movement. Her
Collective Sole stands on three pillars – Comfort, Wellness, and Lifestyle. We are working to
make room for wellness being a lifestyle in the culture of women’s sneakers.
My first, real sneaker was a pair of British Knights for basketball. As an overall athlete
(competitive cheerleading, track, soccer and basketball), I asked my uncle for a pair of Penny
Hardaway’s when they came out. When I put those on “I felt so cool” and finally hip that I got
compliments and it was history after that.
YES, people really ask me what is Ergonomics or what is an Ergonomist. There are different
types of Ergonomists. I am a Certified Ergonomist for (Industrial, Hospitals, and Workplace). I
specialize and I am passionate about Workplace Ergonomics. When, I think of how ergonomics could play a vital role in the Sneaker culture I think design innovation and I think about the Fashion and Function conversations. For the women in sneakers – when designing for comfort, yes there definitely could be an ergonomic perspective that could be inserted in the creation process. I always hear women say a common line “I own these, but I wear these because their so comfortable.” When that line becomes verbiage it should be taken into consideration when you’re designing footwear or parts that go into a
sneaker. (Just saying!!) lol
As far as HCS, we don’t plan to impact female buyers decision making process but, we aim to enhance the buying experience of what can be provided for that sneaker to make it comfortable and still fashion forward for women consumers or future women consumers that relate to the culture in different ways.
Tips from JeNay:
Top 5 sneakers most comfortable:
1) Air max 90
2) Adidas HMU
3) Nike Air Max FF 720
4) Adidas Ozweego
5) Reebok CLassics DMX Trail Shadow (Def a Fav right now)
Steps to gain comfort while being a Sneakerhead
1) Get an foot analysis done (at a local running store)
2) Ask about your foot shape.
3) Know your feet (arches, flat feet, wide feet etc) that helps to know which Sneakers your
wearing for comfort and the ones for style.
4) Shop foot accessories ( Ball of your feet pads, insoles, socks etc..)
5) Stretch your feet after a tight Sneaker experience. There nothing fun about feet hurting
and doing nothing about it at the time of the PAIN.