“Being given the opportunity to ideate, conceptualise, and execute projects with brands alongside my 9-5 has been tough, but also demonstrates how capable I am. Upon reflection, it makes all the late nights, doubts, favour call-ins all worth it.” @stephanieht

We recently launched a new series called ‘Making Moves: The Women Shaping the Future.’ The series showcases trailblazers within the industry who are boldly disrupting the scene, both in the forefront and behind the scenes. Whether you’re a creative, sportswoman, volunteer, mentor, or business owner, we want to showcase you to inspire those who are following your journey so far and to pass on your valuable knowledge to the next generation.

In our latest feature, we sat down with Stephanie Hulbert-Thomas, founder of @_womeninsneakers, to discuss the significance of celebrating women in the sneaker industry, her career path thus far, and new opportunities she is exploring.

I’m Steph, founder of @_womeninsneakers! I’m also an integrated project director, partnerships manager, campaign manager and ‘non-traditional’ creative. I have worked in the sneaker and lifestyle industry for over 7 years, working with brands like Nike, adidas, Vans North Face, and more. I like to call myself a non-traditional creative as my career to date has been pretty varied, but I have a love and appreciation for all things creative.

My love for sneakers however, started when I was way younger we had a boutique sneaker store in Oxford called ‘Ryouki’ and I used to love going in there and looking at the latest kicks, particularly the women’s section. Buying was never an option as I was probably around 10-11 years old and nothing came in my size but I loved perusing the store and seeing what was new.

Fast forward to 16-year-old me working in retail which for me at the time was the dream I got to look at shoes and clothes all day, help people pick outfits and work with friends the pinnacle of it all though was being able to choose your uniform and for me that meant picking a pair of kicks to wear. I worked in retail until I was around 22. It got me through University and created friendships I still have to this day.

My love for retail and fashion, took me to ASOS where I was a project manager / producer / brand partnerships manager looking after some of the biggest brands. During my 4–5-year stint, I think this is where I first started to really consider what it meant to be a Woman in sneakers.

I then took a HUGE leap and moved to Switzerland to work for On (Running) which was an incredible opportunity to be at the start of something new and unestablished within the sneaker scene. They were the new kid on the block, and I got to experience that from the very beginning, helping launch their first ever lifestyle shoe the ‘Cloud Nova’ and it’s been great to see their growth over the past few years!

My parents are by far my biggest influence they have instilled in me a strong work ethic and I think that’s where I get my get sh!t done attitude. I think a lot of people of colour have.

My motivation for creating _Women in Sneakers was simple. I wanted to tell the stories of the amazing women I had worked with throughout my career and to do that I needed to create an environment and space that empowered those women to feel comfortable to share their honest experiences. That quickly evolved into also wanting to demonstrate and highlight how you can work in the sneaker and streetwear industry.

One of the questions I get asked most is “How do I get into the sneaker industry?” It’s something that school, university etc. doesn’t necessarily teach you. I also think it’s important for people to know that you don’t have to go to university or have a degree to be successful. As with all things there is no linear career path, so I wanted to demonstrate clear opportunities and as a result, showcase the numerous avenues to get your foot in the door.

Alongside this being a black woman within the industry and in fact most industries provide its own hurdles which further cements the need for platforms like _Women In Sneakers. Whilst I’m certain all people of colour experience micro aggressions and discrimination within their workplace, I can only talk about my own experiences. Navigating work environments is not easy and it’s taken me a long time to find my voice and in turn, identify and manage when I am experiencing discrimination, racism, misogynoir etc.

Now when I walk into a room whereby, I am the only woman and or black woman I see it as my superpower, I am in that room or space because no one else brings to the table what I do.

One of the biggest challenges I struggle with is imposter syndrome (likely due to the aforementioned micro/macro aggressions) that for me is one of mine and MANY others biggest challenges. I have definitely shrunk that feeling of ‘do I belong in this space’ and can confirm the answer is absolutely yes! However. it took a lot of work to get to that point and right now I am focusing on seeing myself how other people see me.

What I mean by that is that when people compliment or congratulate me instead of taking it at face value its flipping that imposter syndrome on its head i.e., speaking positively about myself to myself. I even have a folder on my phone of positive and nice things people have said so that when I do have a moment of doubt, I can look back at it.

_Women In Sneakers turned 3 this year, which is a huge milestone, it’s become something that I never expected. Community is at the heart of everything!

I want the platform to be about the sneaker community on a granular local level not just the big influential individuals. Whilst they are important and provide a north star for many coming up in the scene, it is also important to celebrate the ‘everyday’ individuals who help make the culture what it is. I feel very lucky to have the network and support system that comes from _Women In Sneakers. It’s a really humbling experience to know that everyone is rooting for each other and in my opinion, there is no bigger hype girl than a female sneakerhead!

As a result, whenever I approach brands I always try to ensure that community is at the heart of what we do, whilst also championing women who may not usually have visibility within the scene.

I also recently collaborated with another big hitter in the game, which was another pinch me moment! Not only was it amazing to bring women together but they gave me full reign over how I bought it all to life, running a project end-to-end (concept, creative, design, panellist, guestlist and everything in-between). Working with this global brand not only enabled me to bring people together but it allowed me to flex my other skillsets.

Now that I fully understand my capabilities and am slowly but surely shrinking my imposture syndrome, I am entering an exciting transition into freelance life. As I adapt to my new routine and the removal of corporate safety net, I’m excited to see how I personally grow and how that influences _Women In Sneakers and the evolution of the platform. My hope for the future of _WIS is more collaboration, more in real life get togethers but most importantly more space and opportunities for women big and small.

I recently co-founded an agency GangGang which focuses on Community marketing and I’m hoping I can take my experiences and learnings from _Women In Sneakers apply them to the agency and vice versa.

While it can be challenging to navigate this industry as a woman, there are several things that you can do to succeed and help establish yourself. With our new series ‘Making Moves’ Steph would like to pass on some tokens of advice for those looking to break through into the sneaker space:

1. Don’t procrastinate

Starting is always the hardest thing, don’t procrastinate. Start whatever weird and wonderful idea you have.

2. Consistency is key

Emerging creatives – consistency is key! Something I’m still learning and applying to myself personally, professionally and for _Women In Sneakers.

3. You must be genuine

To effectively make an impact on the industry you must be genuine with your intentions, be resilient. You will hear ‘No’ A lot!

4. Ask for help

Don’t be afraid to ask for help, you are not an expert in everything, but your friends and network might be, so don’t be afraid to reach out.

5. Be kind to yourself

Big up yourself and others! Be kind to yourself despite the time we live success isn’t instant it’s a process you will get to where you need to be!

Check out more from Steph on Instagram @stephanieht and @_womeninsneakers

If you would like to share your story and get involved in our new series ‘Making Moves: The Women Shaping the Future’ contact: OffspringHQinfo@office.co.uk