As the cool teacher in school, Shanice bridges the gap between those established people in the sneaker community and the next generation. Her mum was her main inspiration growing up and we want to show this within the story. Shanice is a key figure in the female sneaker culture too, and she is pioneering for equality within the scene. Shanice has a fantastic story to tell.

What is your first memory of Air Max?

“My mum and I getting matching tailwind 5s aged 9 from an outlet in Florida. I wore them with absolutely everything and loved matching them with my mum who still is now my biggest role model!”

What’s your main passion outside of the sneaker culture?

“Representation of black women in media and black female empowerment. I use my platform to champion diversity, and inspire black women to have confidence and pride in the skin they are in.”

Can you give us a short overview of your day-to-day?

“Teaching sports from 9am to 3pm, I work with 16-19-year-olds and run a project within the college that focusses on using exercise to improve mental well-being and achievement in the classroom. From 3pm onwards, I create sneaker content, which involves modelling sneakers, engagement with followers, speaking on sneaker culture and more.”

What’s the difference between your work attire and personal fashion sense?

“Actually, I am really lucky I get to wear my sneakers to work. They actually are a great way of me connecting with the young people I work with and bridges the gap between me and the teacher and them as the student.”

How is your fashion sense perceived by your colleagues?

“I am known for my sneakers being different every day, it’s always a conversation starter and they are always interested in the story behind each shoe! My sneaker wall backdrop on Zoom has also been a hit on staff meetings.”

We often see brands featuring individuals from traditionally aspirational lifestyles in their campaigns. Do you feel that you identify with the typical figureheads that get highlighted in the sneaker industry?

“Being a woman in a male-dominated industry, I’d say no, but that no is even louder when to take into account that I am black. I feel that the voice and contribution of black women have been forgotten in modern sneaker culture. I rarely saw myself in sneaker campaigns, where other races were always used to push the narrative. Being darker skinned, I never felt seen within the industry.”

Keep checking back on the size blog for more Air Max fan stories!