579/6/2022
Women are tall, short, voluptuous, skinny, sassy, classy, smart…in other words multifaceted individuals who don’t fit a certain mold and can’t be boxed, so why try? Just continue to make spaces where she always has a seat at the head of the table (Yall, caught that?), her voice is never silence and her opinion never ignored.
Mahogany “Mo” Terry is a lover of sneakers that has cultivated since she was 11 years old. Initially, Mo thought of sneakers as just some shoe she wore to school. However, that was before Mo saw this sistah at church who paired her attire with sneakers; changing the idea that sneakers were only for casual occasions. Mo’s mind was blown.
“I was at church for praise dance practice and there was this lady with some Jordans on. That was the first time that I recognized like a difference in shoes. That was the first time that I recognized like these (the lady’s shoes) are cool shoes.” Mo continued, “So I have loved them (sneakers) since I was a kid.”
She started building her collection of sneakers when she was in college and got serious about her collection in 2018. Even becoming choicy in her selection as she discovered her own unique shoe style. As she started immersing herself more in the sneaker community, she noticed several things. The sneaker industry was heavily male dominated; no shocked there. The second was, although there was a population of women sneakerheads, women were not well represented. None of them looked like her, black and queer.
“Women aren’t as visible as they should be in the sneaker community,” said Mo. And the women that are in the community all fit a certain type leaving out so many other women. She is happy to be a part of the movement that is changing the industry for women who look like her.
In an effort to usher in more women sneakerheads, Mo founded OurSoles as a way to let women who looked her know that they matter too.
“OurSoles is a passion project that has really turned up. I am so proud of it,” Mo said with a smile. “This is a male dominated space. A lot of times when you see women featured in sneakers you see the same look and people who look like me are not represented,” Mo said about the purpose of the project.
OurSoles opens the doors for women to work with major brands, hot artists, and collaborate with the best in business. Since she established the project, Mo has had the privilege of working with some top tier brands well-known brands in various entities.
For Mo, sneakers are more than just foot style, it’s a lifestyle. “Sneakers can add so much to your style,” she said because fashion is what knows best. So she is pushing herself, women, men, and anyone who can be influential as a reference tool to find female creatives to add innovation and uniqueness.
OurSoles has an agenda to give back to those young eyes that look up to her searching for direction on how to be black, female, queer, and, of course, a sneakerhead. Parents often contact her on how to best support their daughter(s) who present in a masculine way. Ever so grateful, Mo, in her own way, shows parents how to create spaces for their daughters to be their true selves.
“Everyone needs to see themselves,” exclaimed Mo.
OurSoles is not Mo’s only passion. She loves trading tennis shoes and having conversations with other sneaker enthusiasts like her. Tradeblock is a community where she can do all those things and more. The online community started with a simple question that was asked in 2009, "Why isn't there an easy and secure way to trade sneakers?" Fast forward to 2020, the question went from being an idea to becoming the #1 Sneaker Trading Platform and Community. Tradeblock members login and check out the massive inventory of shoes which have been 100% authenticated. After selecting a trade partner, members use their kicks as currency instead of paying the sometimes out of reach prices of sneakers in stores. Mo is using her presence on Tradeblock to ensure there is inclusion and diversity for all women.
Whatever the platform or arena where black, queer women are underrepresented. It will take people who have a drive like Mo to implement effective change to give everyone a voice.