In November of 2020, Titi Finlay had enough. 

With one well-worded Instagram post, Finlay made her stance clear in under 140 characters: “We don’t need women’s exclusives. We need inclusive sizing.” The avalanche of commentary set the stage for a bit of an online reckoning and, if we’re honest, a conversation that far too many of us have avoided outside of our own individual friend groups. 

With a space that has been predominantly male-run for far too long, the reality of being female and a sneaker lover is often a bittersweet balance between the shoes we love and community comradery vs. the understanding that the industry as a whole still sees women as secondary. 

But, where there is a disconnect there is always a conduit to bring truth and change.  Everyone knows you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover. This is an adage that's particularly true when it comes to an impeccable force like Titi Finlay. Her ability to serve street style lewks is secondary only to her desire to see and champion change.  An artist and content creator from Scotland (now residing in London), Titi is no stranger to taking chances or taking every opportunity to tell her story on her own terms.

While it’s easy to look at her trajectory (Social Media at ASOS, Nike Air Max 90 Guest Designer) and her current role (Social Media Manager for Laced, a large sneaker marketplace in the UK), and assume that Titi’s journey has been a straight shot to successful spaces, that assumption couldn’t be more inaccurate. After graduating from the University of Dundee, Titi decided, on a whim, to move to London. Without money or connections, working became a means of survival during a time in which Titi felt both lost and underqualified to reach for a career where her true aspirations resided. After about three years of working different restaurant and hospitality jobs, Titi decided the time had come to shoot her shot. 

“One day I came to the decision that life was too short and so I started cold emailing people I admired to intern in exchange for their mentorship. I spent a year interning/assisting and taking any and all opportunities, (even when I wasn’t sure I could do the job, and with hard-grafting and tunnel vision belief in myself, I got my dream role at ASOS! It was tough, and I struggled to make ends meet for a while, but I got there and the journey was the best part!”

In July of 2020, Titi landed her current role as Social Media Manager for Laced and, in the same month, she checked off something on a lot of sneaker lover’s bucket lists: dropping a sneaker with Nike that she helped design. For her own take on the Air Max 90, Titi’s mission was clear: inspired by women, made for everyone. Taking inspiration from the Air Max 1/90 ‘Spruce Lime’ and the Air Max 1 ‘Watermelon’, two styles that were released exclusively in Men’s sizes, the drop of the Air Max 90 ‘Power to the Female’ served as a stepping stone to catapult the conversation surrounding the inclusivity within the industry as a whole.

However, it is important to note that this topic is multifaceted and not without its own fair share of layers: “Over time working in the industry I’ve noticed a lot of other pockets of inequality and I really just think it’s time things changed. I think it’s up to the folks at the top, the brands and retailers, and the people who make the big decisions, to really recognize and champion their female consumers. That’s where the big changes will happen. But as women who are in (or hoping to enter) this industry I think we need to continue the conversation around equality, but also make sure we showcase and celebrate the talent and drive women in the sneaker space possess. We deserve to be here, and we need to lead by example.”

“Over time working in the industry I’ve noticed a lot of other pockets of inequality and I really just think it’s time things changed.”

So, where did the idea for those graphics come from? Experience. Titi has seen first-hand the misconceptions that go along with misinformation that is still ever-present. As such, Titi decided that the creation of some very straightforward infographics could help raise awareness surrounding these issues. However, no one would have guessed that these graphics would create such a tidal wave of conversation, not even their creator. “I think it ultimately stemmed from the lack of inclusive sizing on hype drops, meanwhile brands created new ‘womens’ versions of already great silhouettes...I decided to create some shareable graphics that me and my girls in the community could share and raise some awareness of the issues we face, but I had no idea it would blow up like it did.”

After a Highsnobiety feature that gained her both a wave of support and a slew of misinformed trolling, Titi did what she does best: educate. “I kept seeing the same comments, or “FAQs” if you will, repeated from random trolls and I figured it would be helpful to lay them out to avoid any more of these misconceptions happening. My goal was to be educational with the content, without it having a negative undertone. I preferred to make this with the hope people would share it and spread the word.

Being a woman in sneakers is hard, but being a young woman in this field comes with a whole new set of challenges. As a woman in her early 20’s, I often find myself doubting my own abilities and I know I am not the only one. Nonetheless, Titi points out that young people bring new perspectives and yearn to learn from those more seasoned than them and absorb all the industry has to offer, “...It really falls on the older members of the sneaker community to stop gatekeeping and instead embrace and mentor the next generation of sneakerheads. There is so much we can learn from young people, and there is still so much to learn from young women in the space specifically.”

Despite the work that still needs to be done, there is a lot to say about the change we’ve already seen, “I love seeing the women who I’ve known as friends and worked beside making a huge impact in their spaces. It wasn’t long ago we were having private discussions about feeling left out of the culture, and now we’re shouting about it from the rooftops and people are listening.” 

As a final word of advice for young women wanting to enter the industry, Titi points out that now is the time with opportunities at an all-time high. Social media is a powerful tool - so use it! Network, make meaningful connections, put yourself out there, and be active in a community that is more community-driven than ever. Titi often shares her story, even the humble beginnings, as a way of encouraging others to remain focused and never lose sight of their goal even if that means being your own biggest cheerleader. No matter your journey, age, gender, or experience, anyone can be a part of the culture. 

Opportunity is here and it’s for the taking. 

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Written By: Yaquelin Yanes & Channing Beumer

Photographer: Meara Kallista Morse