It’s been four months since Romy and Sophia decided to save the sneaker world for women. Male-dominated space needed some changes. Not only flexibility but also better access and stock for women. Two friends, currently based in LA, they came with a cure. Through launching the online one-stop-shop, they healed many women from a horrible disease: the lack of sneakers. Common Ace allows you to buy shoes without unstoppable searching for the perfect pair, without opening many tabs: comfortable, quick and women-friendly.
May the 15th was a big day for Common Ace co-founders. Even though they’re working in a streetwear industry for a long time (Romy is working for KITH and many more, Sophia did many streetwear collaborations with companies like Puma or Nike), launching their own shop was something different.
Romy and Sophia, Co-founders of Common Ace
“We didn’t expect such a massive response; it was amazing. Not even just for the industry, but the community. The women around the world, from every corner of Earth, they were reaching us being like: ‘finally, thank you, this is amazing, we are so excited’. We were so unsure when to launch because of the virus, but it was perfect timing,” says Romy.
Common Ace has a simple purpose: to provide comfortable access for women in sneakers. It’s always been a problem with size range and limited shoe stock for women. It’s time for changes. Common Ace is like a process which step by step will grow into spectacular results. “We were solving a problem for ourselves, but also we knew that there was a real need to create a one-stop-shop. A lot of women do not live in major cities. They also want to be into that lifestyle and community. We are working on building this solid language. Safe and celebrated space for the women.”
“Romy and I are working in the space. We are collectors, and we’ve been able to speak a lot of times as a female voice in the sneaker industry, and a lot of times there are the same issues: there are not enough of many sneakers, there’s not enough of this, there’s not enough of that. I think that our gesture of creating Common Ace is a start to create that shift and to do something rather just talking about it,” says Sophia.
“Romy and I are working in the space. We are collectors, and we’ve been able to speak a lot of times as a female voice in the sneaker industry, and a lot of times there are the same issues: there are not enough of many sneakers, there’s not enough of this, there’s not enough of that.”
SOPHIA
“We imagine Common Ace to be an incredible destination centred around streetwear, sneakers and fashion. Everybody together in the right way. We want to create this space and let it grow and let it flourish. Turn it into a space that’s not only the one-stop-shop with great accessibility, but also developed from a content perspective. Linking women together, linking content together around a community and just growing it from there, the sky is the limit,” says Romy.
Creating a women-based platform is a challenge. It’s hard work and sacrifices hidden behind the actual launch, but it’s worth the effort. “We are talking about women based sneaker platform, or kicking off as a women based platform: we do have to put in that an extra effort. An extra step to be able to convince these people to work with us. Men are not going to get the frustration that the women have, but the exciting part is that we are able to share that story and be innovated and be creative,” says Sophia.
“We imagine Common Ace to be an incredible destination centred around streetwear, sneakers and fashion. Everybody together in the right way. We want to create this space and let it grow and let it flourish.”
ROMY
The message is focused on women: flourish and support them. We all should work together; we are powerful, we can move mountains. Common Ace is an ambassador of positivity, hard work and joy. “Our company, actually a family is as colourful as the united nation. We are celebrating ‘her’. And ‘her’ is not just a cute girl that is taking selfies and wearing sneakers; it’s ‘you’. We build the community that is acting accordingly to the message,” says Sophia.
To every person who wants to start the business: “Don’t be emotional. Just go for it. Don’t be intimidated by starting your own business. We all have the opportunity to grow, and if you focus and dream big, you’re organised, and you have great supporters around you: just go for it. Put it out there you’ve got nothing to lose,” says Romy.
And to every woman who struggles with sneaker purchases: Common Ace is for you. Visit their website, let them grow and join the community: be the one who conquers the sneaker world.
