Exclusive: The Most Decorated Track & Field Olympian, Allyson Felix, Launches Her First Saysh Performance Running Sneakers
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Saysh is finally entering its performance running era.
The footwear brand, founded by Olympian Allyson Felix and her brother and business partner Wes Felix, on Tuesday launched its “The Felix Runner” sneaker, the first perfomance running shoe to come from the olympic track and field star’s brand.
More from Footwear News
While this shoe has all the elements of a strong running sneaker, the product is meant for the typical active woman doing everything from “running errands to running marathons,” Allyson said in an interview with FN.
“I think the majority of women fall outside of the category of trying to break a world record for a marathon,” Allyson said, explaining the target audience for the Felix Runner. “[But] it’s definitely a performance shoe and differs from our Saysh One which is more for light workouts and for walking. This is really our foray into that [performance] space,” Allyson, who has trained in these shoes for over a year, added.
After a public split with Nike in 2019 due to frustration with the Swoosh’s policies for pregnant women and mothers, decorated runner Allyson Felix and her brother decided to launch Saysh, a “by women, for women” shoe brand focused on building communities. The Felix Runner now joins a roster of existing styles including the Saysh One and Saysh Two lifestyle sneakers, a slide, and the Saysh Spike One racing shoe.
The Felix Runner includes a one-piece molded heel for stability, a flexible lacing mechanism and toe reinforcement on the upper. The sneaker was also created with Saysh’s FemiformityFIT technology, which is designed to fit the unique shape of a woman’s foot. Saysh worked with biomechanists to create this shoe and designed it from a last made from a woman’s foot. In recent months, other active brands like Lululemon and Under Armour have taken a similar approach.
“In a lot of ways, this launch and this shoe feels like the beginning,” said Wes. “We knew we wanted to be a brand that made the best running shoes for women … now we are able to finally deliver.”
The Felix Runner launches in three colorways — avalanche, ebony, and fire — in woman’s sizes between 5.5 and 13 with a price tag of $165. The shoes are available on Saysh.com and will roll out to retailers across the U.S. including Dick’s Sporting Goods, REI, Athleta and series of run specialty stores.
Moving forward, the team will be looking in the college and NIL space for potential athlete deals and will pursue partnerships to spread the word about the new shoe.
In June 2022, Saysh announced it raised $8 million in a Series A round that was led by specialist consumer fund IRIS and the Gap Inc.-owned Athleta brand, along with Redpoint Ventures and Springbank Collective. As part of the investment, Gap Inc. acquired an equity stake in the brand, and Athleta entered into a partnership to feature Saysh footwear on its website. Allyson’s Felix’s relationship with Athleta extends back to 2019, when she signed on as the brand’s first athlete partner after leaving Nike.
“I feel really proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish,” Allyson said. “And I feel like we’re really trying to push the industry.”
With this new shoe, the sibling duo enters the ultra-competitive market for women’s running footwear, which is currently dominated by brands like Hoka, On and Brooks. But while Saysh might be a smaller brand, the team is confident in their ability to challenge industry giants.
‘I think our evolution has been [becoming] not as afraid to go after the bigger brands and say we can create a shoe that will rival yours in comfort and performance,” Wes said. “And we’ll beat them when it’s about really seeing the customer that that we’re trying to serve. I think that there’s more of a confidence there.”
Best of Footwear News
Sign up for FN's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
