NiK Kacy had nowhere to buy gender-neutral shoes so they founded their own footwear brand that ‘that all types of people can wear’
- NiK Kacy loves men’s shoes but was constantly told to shop in the women’s section. ‘It was so humiliating,’ says the Hong Kong-born designer and activist
- ‘If I couldn’t beat them, I’d join them,’ they say of the gendered shoe industry, and that’s what Kacy did, designing ‘all the shoes I ever wanted to wear’
NiK Kacy had felt for a long time that they didn’t quite fit in, but never more so until they went out shopping for shoes.
“Every time I wanted to buy a pair of shoes that fit my identity, I was told I was in the wrong section,” said Kacy, a Hong Kong-born, Los Angeles-based designer, entrepreneur and activist. “I love men’s shoes, but was always told to go to the women’s section because of the size of my feet. It was so humiliating.”
So Kacy, who identifies as gender-fluid, queer and transmasculine, founded their own eponymous brand featuring the sort of accessories they always wanted – gender-neutral sneakers, combat boots and brogues in sizes that fit across the gender spectrum. They are also working on gender-neutral high heels.
For Kacy, 46, pushing the envelope almost feels second nature. They are a leading transgender rights activist, the creator of Equality Fashion Week and on the board of directors of organisations such as Trans Can Work.
Under Kacy’s purview, the 2019 edition of Equality Fashion Week tripled in size over the previous year and was a celebration of “over 150 people of colour, trans, queer and allies performing, doing music, dancing”.
