Get a fresh pair of kicks at the UK's first womens' only sneaker store

Pam Pam, founded by Bethany Heggarty and Rio Holland, is a new boutique stocking footwear exclusively for women, from 10 leading brands including Adidas, Reebok, Saucony and New Balance. Visitors to the 1,500 sq ft space, located at 129 Bethnal Green Road, can join a range of groups, from yoga, music to cycling, indulge in jewellery and lifestyle products, or pick up the latest streetwear apparel by brands like Edwin, Penfield and Carhartt – a move that makes Pam Pam much more of a lifestyle project than just a regular highstreet shop.

A womens' only sneaker store has been a long time coming considering the trend accelerated in 2012, when Nike introduced its Flyknit range, bringing the sneaker out of gyms and into offices, restaurants and parties. Traditionally being a sneaker freak was a particularly male obsession, and today that slant is still reflected in the mix of footwear widely available to women. Barely any of the stores listed on Complex magazine’s ‘15 Best Sneaker Boutiques In The World’ sell womens' sizes, while in 2013 Forbes reported 59% of all sneakers sales in the US were to men and only 22% to women; (the rest were bought for kids).

The problem is largely down to perception. The women’s sportswear market is growing and consumers are demanding an array of styles and shapes. In our Gender Report,  we saw how footwear like Dr Martens and Stan Smiths have become staple items in both mens' and womens' wardrobes. Similarly retail is fast evolving in reaction to the rise of online stores, and consumers are seeing the rise of bespoke stores, like Dust or Kate Spade. The key task for brands is to adapt and recognise the potential market. It’s no longer kosher to simply shrink a trainer and apply a pink colourway.