2 Toronto entrepreneurs 'Makeway' for Canada's only women's sneaker boutique and community hub
Space will be geared towards community initiatives once it's safe, owners say
Abby Albino and Shelby Weaver are tired of seeing a lack of representation for women in sneaker culture, as well as in the industry across Canada — so they decided to do something about it.
The two entrepreneurs from Toronto are creating a space for female sneakerheads with a new boutique, appropriately called Makeway, at Stackt Market on Bathurst Street near Front Street West.
Instead of having the interests of women who are into streetwear and sneakers relegated to just a small corner of a store, this new venue has made an entire space for them.
"Launching this place was so important to us because it's not just my dream or Shelby's dream, it's an entire community of women who collectively came together to make this space happen," said Albino.
Albino and Weaver grew up playing basketball and customizing shoes. They met while working for the Toronto Raptors, where Weaver is currently the manager of player development. Sneakers and a mutual love of the sport helped make their partnership a natural fit so when the time came for them to open a shop together their interests aligned perfectly.
Historically, the streetwear and sneaker industry have been geared towards men. Many of the top companies in athletic wear such as Nike, Adidas or Under Armour are represented by superstar male athletes like the NBA's LeBron James, and Stephen Curry and Lionel Messi of international soccer fame.
Although brands have progressed to include women like tennis superstar Serena Williams or Olympic soccer gold medalist Megan Rapinoe, says Albino, it's been a slow jog to representing women equally in the sneaker market.
Whether it's getting access to shoes in women's sizes, or having to pay resell prices on limited sneakers on the secondary market, Albino says they hope Makeway can help make things more accessible.
Knowledge of the industry's products has almost been a prerequisite to gaining access to the community, Weaver says.
"Sneaker culture can be incredibly intimidating if you don't know every single colourway of a shoe, or you don't know the name of a collaboration. A lot of women feel too scared to get into it but it shouldn't be scary. It should be about discovery," said Albino.
"We don't want to be the people who decide what our community needs. We are not the authority on this. We view the space as a service to our community. We just want to add energy, positivity and resources," added Weaver.
Future community hub
While starting a business was one of Albino's dreams, she told CBC Toronto that they also plan to use the shop to create a safe gathering space for women to connect, celebrate and build community when public health authorities deem it safe again after the pandemic.
"We plan to host as many community initiatives, workshops and meetings here as we can in the future, so we can help foster inclusivity, entrepreneurship and support amongst women," said Weaver.
Though sneakers make up the main display of the shop, it's the racks and displays next to them that reflect the community in Toronto.
Every corner of the store holds products from local and small businesses run by women that also tie the store's sports theme together.
Hollowed-out basketballs from a Toronto shop called The Give and Grow are used as planters for philodendrons that are nicknamed "Freddy VineVleet" after Raptors guard Fred VanVleet.
Next to a wall of shoes and tracksuits are hand-made basketball rugs from Alberta-based Cree designer Rashelle Campbell.
"It was really important to us that we reflect how diverse the city we live in is and ensure we stock local Canadian creators in our store," said Weaver.
Pandemic impact
Despite the pandemic, Albino and Weaver had been building towards their launch on Saturday since last winter.
But with the Ford government announcing lockdown measures that will close non-essential retail on Monday, Makeway prepared to launch an online shop just as their physical store was forced to close less than 48 hours after opening.
"We see this as a long-term business and a long-term brand so ultimately, yes, the pandemic is scary, but the pandemic will end. We will get through this. We will come out the other end in some type of way," said Weaver.
The co-founders say they intend to follow all public health and safety protocols to ensure the well-being of all their customers.
Their store will remain operational through e-commerce and possible curbside pickup while Toronto is on lockdown for the next 28 days.
Regardless, many women who are sneakerheads say they're happy to finally have a place they can call their own.
Christina Christy, a sneaker collector who got into the culture eight years ago, says have a retailer that caters to women is one of the reasons why Makeway's launch is important to her.
"Majority of sneaker boutiques in Canada do not carry women sizing or the equivalent in grade school sizes for hype releases, which diminishes our chance to purchase the sneakers we like at retail cost."
For Kiah Welsh, also a long-time sneaker collector, it's the idea of having a physical gathering space to meet others with the same interests.
"For so long, women have been an afterthought when it comes to sneakers and having a space like this justifies that we've been here, and we're not a 'one size fits all,' said Welsh.
"It's a great feeling to have a space, knowing it's curated with you in mind."
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