Birdies launches lace-up sneakers, campaign stars inspire women – Footwear News

Birdies hit two firsts today.

On Tuesday, the women-founded footwear brand – which launched in 2015 and is best known for its comfortable flats and slides – launched its first lace-up trainers.

The line includes the Roadrunner, a retro-inspired silhouette priced at $130 that’s crafted from premium leather, nylon, and suede in five colorways. The Cardinal, which retails for $140, is a traditional court sneaker made from premium leather and suede, also in five colorways. Both styles are available now on Birdies.com and Birdies stores.

To mark the event, the brand also launched its first integrated campaign. It stars activist and author Blair Imani and famed interior designer Brigette Romanek – two women who run their own respective businesses.

Birdies co-founder and CEO Bianca Gates said the idea behind the campaign was to celebrate how sneakers can fit into the lives of busy women.

“When we were thinking of launching our new lace-up styles to the world, we really thought about why we designed these sneakers,” Gates told FN. “It was less about women running outside in a performance shoe, and more about fashionable comfort shoes that women typically live in and are a boss. So, we came up with the idea for our new campaign’ What Are You Running?’ to inspire others to take charge of their lives by shining a light on these responsible women.

Launching across Birdies’ digital marketing channels and in-store today, the campaign showcases the collection’s sporty Imani and Romanek styles in the settings where they hold their power.

Romanek, one of the most sought-after interior designers with a star-studded list of clients, told FN that what makes her stand out is a complete head-to-toe package. “Complete with a powerhouse lipstick, powerhouse nails, and of course a powerhouse shoe,” she said.

Asked about the women who inspire her, Romanek said her list was endless. “Nicole Avant, Nina Simone, Gwyneth Paltrow, my grandmother and most importantly my mother. She was a single mom who was told to settle down and not want too much. If she had listened to that, my life and hers would be very different right now. I applaud her for believing in herself, which made me believe in myself. She is everything to me,” Romanek said.

As for Imani — an award-winning educator, historian and author of the bestselling book ‘Read This to Get Smarter’ — the colorful monochromatic looks and comfort make her feel empowered. “The first speaks for itself but the second carries a more detailed description,” Imani told FN. “A lot of women’s fashion involves us making ourselves feel uncomfortable to be seen as professional or sexy. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the idea that women are allowed to exist both comfortable and respected is revolutionary, and Birdies is materially changing the culture in that direction while not participating in the labor exploitation and irresponsible environmental harms of fast fashion.

Imani added that many women inspire her, such as thought leaders Aja Barber and Emma Dabiri, as well as “my business partners Alexis Androulakis and Christina Basias and the brilliant team I had the honor of working with as a platform educator at @Feminist, including Ky Polanco, Aisha Burrowes, Amanda Bjorn and Lex Chandra.

To support the campaign, celebrity stylist Sophie Lopez has created a style guide for the brand which includes tips and inspiration for styling the new sneaker collection.

According to Gates, the new sneaker styles have been developed over the past five years based on feedback the brand has received from customers and fans. “As we went through the pandemic, our customers were taking more walks and wanted a shoe that could handle the outdoor elements, as well as a shoe that they could wear with dresses and jeans,” Gates said. “We thought we’d combine the comfort and fashion qualities we’re known for in these new lace-up shoes.”

Gates noted that the brand kept its comfortable sole and added an internal wedge inside the shoes to give women more lift and support. “It makes their legs look even better in our shoes,” Gates added.

Looking ahead, Gates remains focused on launching the sneakers for the first half of the year, but said more are on the way in the coming months. “We have developed many awesome new silhouettes which we will launch later this year with many new materials based on feedback from our community.”