Sneaker culture has historically been all about the flex, the drop, and the hype, but consumer awareness of environmental issues has placed the industry in the spotlight. As demand for iconic shoes continues apace, do sneakerheads actually want a more sustainable industry?
Nav Gill is a creative consultant and writer who specialises in fashion, streetwear, sneakers, and pop culture. She’s worked with some of the world’s biggest sports brands, fashion houses, and luxury retailers, and her bylines have appeared in Nylon, Hypebeast, Luisa Via Roma, Sole DXB, Mr. Porter, and other publications. Nav has presented digital lectures at the Condé Nast College of Fashion & Design, been an industry judge at Graduate Fashion Week, a guest panellist for Adidas Originals, and previously acted as editor at Hypebae. She’s the author of the upcoming book She Kicks, a publication that’s dedicated to female sneaker culture and women in the industry.
Daniel Navetta, aka ‘The Air Vegan’, is the founder and director of creative agency Bryght Young Things, as well as the co-founder and editor-in-chief of eco-conscious platform FUTUREVVORLD. His work as a director and producer has earned him recognition from the Tribeca Film Festival, the American Film Institute, the International Documentary Association, and nods for multiple MTV awards, as well as a GRAMMY nomination. His work has been exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Brooklyn Museum. He was also the co-creator of the Business of Hype podcast on Hypebeast.
Maartje van den Hurk is a freelance creative and sneaker connoisseur. She’s also a senior insight expert at MARE Amsterdam, a qualitative and trend research agency. Van den Hurk hosts the Queens and Sneakers podcast for Sneakerjagers, the sneaker search engine.
Mariella’s experience is wide: she has written, researched, edited and produced content that covers everything from fashion to feminism, travel to tech, and women to weed. Having worked in the fashion space for over ten years, she now focuses her energy on positive change, whether consulting and strategising for her femtech-inclined clients or reporting on women’s health. She has been published in the likes of Bustle, DAZED MEDIA, The Spaces, and Grazia Middle East, while also creating content for Appear Here, On, MATCHES, and Ounass. You can also find culture/consumer insight articles with her byline on LS:N Global, Canvas8 and BEAUTYMATTER —for the US, UK, and Middle Eastern markets.