James Whiteside, Principal Dancer at the American Ballet Theatre, was a hyper 9 year old. One day his mom threw him the phone book and said “Find something to do. You’re irritating.” He saw a photo of a dancing couple - a man holding a woman over his head with one hand - and said "Sure, why not." He hasn't stopped dancing since.
Together with James, we designed a sneaker that speaks to the ballet tradition by making the upper out of satin (original ballet slippers were all made of satin). The sneaker features tiger scratch embroidery, that's inspired by James' tattoo.
"The embroidered scratch is very important to me. My tattoo reminds me to make lemonade out of lemons and to always do my best, no matter the circumstances. Wear your scars proudly, be kind, be creative, be yourself."
"The sneaker is versatile, like today’s ballet dancer. It can go from the dance studio to the red carpet, no problem. Dress it up, dress it down, stay home, go to town."
