Olympian Allyson Felix has stepped into the footwear market.
The decorated track and field star recently launched The Felix Runner shoe under her and her brother’s Saysh brand. The shoe is carefully engineered for a women’s foot. According to Felix, the construction of the shoe took a lot of patience.
“The process of creating the world’s best woman’s running sneakers has required patience and dedication, and it’s been worth every hard and long day. We always say women deserve better, and we mean it.”
She added, “Women deserve the best there is to offer – they deserve this sneaker. We want to share it with you, and to thank you for your patience and dedication as we got The Felix Runner ready for the world.”
The ideation process for the Saysh brand happened in 2020, a year after Felix’s public split from Nike. At the time Felix alleged that Nike cut her contract by seventy percent after becoming a mom. It’s unclear how much she was making prior to that.
The treatment Felix received from the powerhouse brand fueled her to start her own company. Along with the help of her brother and business partner, Wes Felix, Saysh officially launched in June 2021. In addition to sneakers, the brand offers the “Saysh+ Collective,” a digital subscription that offers summits, members-only merch, & networking opportunities.
Saysh is the first and only company to offer a return policy exclusively for pregnant woman. The company’s “Maternity Returns Policy” was based on the track star’s own experience with becoming a mother.
When women become pregnant, their shoe size often increases by half a size. The policy allows expecting mother’s to return previously bought Saysh sneakers back for a free pair in their new size.