On Sunday, Allyson Felix, the most decorated female track and field star in the US, qualified for her fifth Olympics in the 400. Yesterday, she announced she will be donning track spikes made by her new footwear company, Saysh. She will be the first track and field athlete to compete in her own brand. A remarkable, pandemic fueled story.
Phil Knight Out of Step with Women
The story begins in 2018, when Felix was pregnant and negotiating a renewal of her Nike contract, a tricky balance familiar to women in many industries. In early 2019, after baby Camryn was born, Nike offered her 70% less with a huge push to return to peak racing form asap despite a difficult delivery with serious complications.
Telling Her Truth
In a powerful New York Times Op-Ed, she repudiated the deal and castigated Nike for their complicity in an all-too-familiar sports apparel practice of diminished support and compensation for pregnant female athletes. Thanks to her advocacy, and that of fellow former Nike athletes, Alysia Montaño and Kara Goucher, Nike and other brands eventually reversed course and put contractual guarantees in place for 18 months around pregnancy. However, when she initiated conversations with other footwear brands, she could not reach a deal. Then the pandemic hit.
Shrink It and Pink It, NOT
With the Olympics on pause, Felix and her brother, Wes decided to launch their own female footwear brand, Saysh. Initially cautioned by their business advisor not to jump into the saturated market, a deeper dive revealed an underserved female lifestyle market. In an interview with Time, she described the women’s footwear market as “shrink it and pink it.” They raised $3M in seed funding from a broad range of investors. Saysh designed track spikes for Felix’s Olympic quest in Tokyo, giving her ownership of the ultimate brand stage.
I Know My Place
Saysh’s debut generated buzz across a wide swath of pubs including Time, USA Today, Vogue, and Sporting News, among others. She also announced she will donate her winnings from the Olympic Trials, and the Tokyo Games to Right to Play, which increases access to sports in disadvantaged areas around the world. And she is raising awareness about healthcare inequities facing Black mothers. Athleta, which signed her as their first sponsored athlete, (followed by Simone Biles) will carry Saysh One shoes in the fall.
Take Up Space
The Saysh marketing campaign, “I Know My Place” sums up her journey in her own words.” Like so many of us, I was told to know my place, that runners have to run. This is a similar experience for many women, who are often shrinking themselves to fit into roles or spaces. This campaign reminds us to take up space. To live our greatness and fight for what we believe in.”
Amen.