For long decades, it was men who dominated the sneaker industry. It was men who lined up for hours and camped out in the cold to get a pair of holy grails. But not for long. More women are joining the sneaker culture and are actually scoring. Whether manually or using a sneaker bot, copping sneakers is no longer male-exclusive. The industry is expanding further now to include female sneakerheads ditching their stilettos for more comfortable and functional options. So to cater to their new and fast-growing audience, sneaker brands like Nike and Adidas are now releasing womens exclusive pairs. And that’s how terms like “Womens Jordans” and “Bae Sizes” were added to the sneakerhead dictionary.
Why this shift?
As fashion has slowly shifted towards a more casual approach, footwear followed. Consumers’ focus moved to apparel pieces and footwear that provide more comfort and practicality. This shift is especially clear in the numbers. According to the NPD Group’s Retail Tracking Service, women’s sneaker sales, have increased by 37% in 2017 throughout the U.S. And during that same year, sales of high heels have decreased 11%.
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Fast paced life
There are many reasons as to why the footwear industry is changing. The most impactful reason can be the pace of modern life both men and women are living in now.
Whether or not a woman is working outside the house, she usually has a long list of tasks to attend to, most of which require some physical activity. Therefore, more women are opting for athletic footwear like womens Jordans or Adidas sneakers to make their daily lives easier.
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Influencer marketing
Influencer marketing is . And the more female celebrities flex sneakers and athletic wear, the more women want to follow on their footsteps. After all, it’s what these celebrities wear that’s in now!
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Health & Fitness
Emphasis on health, fitness, and physical activity is at its highest now. Men and women are equally encouraged to follow a healthier and more active lifestyle. And this means a change in wardrobe and footwear is in order. Let’s be real, how active can you be in high heels? How fast can a woman walk in stilettos?
Living a healthy and active life is what everyone wants now, and this new lifestyle comes with a special dress code.
What was wrong before?
Before the womens Jordans and Adidas, women had to wear smaller sizes of men’s shoes and call them their own. While that was a good temporary solution, sneaker brands had to come up with more permanent options. Especially that the number of female sneakerheads is continuously increasing.
Anatomically speaking, women’s feet look different than men’s. A male foot looks more rectangular in shape, while a woman’s foot is more triangular, narrower at the heel than the forefoot. So producing smaller sizes only is not enough. New designs and silhouettes had to be made, taking into consideration women’s taste and foot fit.
Rise of Women Sneakers
Brands like Nike, Adidas, and Puma are capitalizing on this rising interest in women’s sneakers. And it’s an all-win situation; Women get to enjoy comfortable and stylish footwear, and sneaker brands expand their markets and increase their sales.
One great example of how invested some brands are in women’s shoes is the Nike 1 Reimagined capsule. Back in 2018, Nike released one of its biggest collections of womens Jordans and sneakers. Nike assigned 14 of its female employees the task of reimagining and recreating 10 pairs of the iconic Air Force 1 and Air Jordan 1. And upon its release, the collection sold out, As per Jenna Golden, director of Nike’s North America Communications team.
Now in 2019, sneaker brands continue to work on creating new high-performance women-exclusive sneakers. And Womens Jordans are always leading the way.
Top 10 Womens Jordans
This list below is by no means all-inclusive. The effort so many sneaker brands are putting into womens athletic shoes is impressive, but it’s womens Jordans that are under the spotlight lately. And if you’re a Jordans fan, here’s how to keep’em Jays squeaky clean.
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Satin Shattered backboard
Release Date: May 5th, 2018
Retail Price: $160
Sleek, clean, vibrant and satin which adds a touch of feminity to an all-time classic. These womens Jordans combine the iconic Shattered Backboard colorway and satin tooling to create one of the most hyped ladies sneakers in the game.
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Air Jordan 1 Rebel XX
Release Date: May 19th, 2018
Retail Price: $145
These Womens Jordans were first introduced in the Nike 1 reimagined collection. Here, we’re not discussing a certain colorway, rather the whole aesthetics of the shoe. The revolutionary Air Jordan 1 Rebel XX Women’s Shoe distorts the AJ 1 with a twisted lacing system giving a bit more edge and style. The Air Jordan 1 Rebel has seen so many versions and colorways but the most memorable is probably the “Top 3”. That release came in women’s sizes only, ranging from size 5-12 and male sneakerheads had to use a shoe size converter if they were to buy a pair.
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Air Jordan 1 Panda
Release Date: April 26th, 2019
Retail Price: $160
The Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG has always served as a canvas for new creative colorways and out of the box material. One colorway that got a fair share of hype this year was the woman’s exclusive AJ1 Panda. The uppers’ overlays and Swoosh feature a textured fur-style material replacing the standard leather. And the usual stamped ball-and-wings logo turned into a badge.
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Air Jordan 12 Reptile
Release Date: April 12th, 2019
Retail Price: $190
Among all womens Jordans, the 12s have always been the most desired for female sneakerheads. The Air Jordan 12 in its “reptile” edition with the snakeskin pattern and fancy gold accents, offered a very luxurious and feminine look to a highly-coveted pair of sneakers.
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Air Jordan 1 Vogue AWOK
Release Date: July 21st, 2018
Retail Price: $220
This pair of Jordans screams fashion and style!
Dropping as part of a first-time women’s only collaboration between Vogue and Nike, the red AJ1 AWOK is a real piece of art. Dressed fully in “University Red”, the High Zip leather Jordans were approved by the Vogue Editor-in-Chief herself. An approval that raised the retail price to $220. But it’s worth it!
The sneakers also featured an “Edited by Vogue” Nike Air tag and the infamous AWOK signature on the sole and the tongue.
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Air Jordan 11 Low Rose Gold
Release Date: April 13th, 2018
Retail Price: $175
Nike and the Jumpman have been two of the leading brands to cater to the growing demand in the female sneakerhead community. Thus, the noticeable increase in producing womens Jordans and Nike sneakers every season. And one of the most feminine and elegant sneakers that dropped in 2018 was the Air Jordan 11 Low “Rose Gold”. This version adds a bit of a luxurious feel to the Jordan 11s through a rose metallic hue and premium materials utilized for the rose gold metallic mudguard and suede uppers.
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Air Jordan 3 Retro Explorer Lite XX
Release Date: March 30th, 2019
Retail Price: $145
The Air Jordan 3 Retro Explorer Lite XX is pretty different than any other sneaker on this list. While other silhouettes look a lot more sleek and feminine, the AJ3 explorer gives off a futuristic vibe and a set of bold features. These womens Jordans feature Snap closures and extended laces for unique lacing options, while uppers are made of synthetic fabric for extra breathability.
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Air Jordan 1 Season of Her
Release Date: January 25th, 2018
Retail Price: $160
The AJ I Season of Her collection shows off luxury and style in 10 unique colorways. Every sneaker of this collection is constructed with luxurious satin and premium suede and finished off with a white midsole and a color-appropriate semi-translucent outsole. The combination of the streetwear style of the AJ1 and the feminine and soft pastel tones make them fit for any occasion and every female sneakerhead.
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Air Jordan 1 Retro High Dip-toe
Release Date: February 1st, 2018
Retail Price: $145
Although it’s an Air Jordan 1, this Dip toe version strays far from the classic look of the sneakers. Back in February 2018, 3 colorways of the Air Jordan 1 Dip Toe released; Black, Red, and White. In addition, Jordan Brand added a premium treated leather overlay that shines when the right light flashes in front of it.
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Air Jordan 1 X Off-white White
Release Date: May 5th, 2018
Retail Price: $160
Out of all women’s Jordans, this one is the most valuable in terms of resale. The womens exclusive, Europe exclusive Off-white Air Jordan 1 is one of Virgil’s most renowned sneakers out of his Nike partnership. combining the classic Air Jordan 1 silhouette with Off-white’s signature zip-tie, blue stitches, orange patches, and big bold wordings. This AJ1 is to date worth more than $2000 on the resale market.
The womens jordans and sneakers market is booming. That’s why athletic footwear giants like Nike and Adidas are continuously signing new female icons to join their creative teams, with the latest major partnership Being that of Beyonce and Adidas. And the list of female sneaker partnerships goes on all in the purpose of empowering women and giving them healthier and more comfortable footwear options. From Selena Gomez to Cardi B and of course passing by Kim Kardashian, the unofficial Yeezy promoter all day every day! Speaking of Yeezys, have you seen the new pairs dropping soon? Did you know there were 3 all-black Yeezys dropping this season? And did you know you can cop any limited-edition sneaker using AIO Bot? Check our users’ success testimonials, and get AIO Bot to join them!
