Keds Launched Rad Sneakers To Celebrate Central American Culture AND Support Women Artisans

Being part of a cultural heritage can give anyone a sense of pride when sharing it with someone outside of their ethnic group. In Keds’ latest Ladies for Ladies collection, there’s culture and pride sewn into the seams of each colorful shoe. And it goes without saying, but the line is also made by women designers.

According to a press release from Keds, the brand is releasing three shoes in partnership with designers Thelma Davila and Elena Gil of Lolita Mia for its Ladies for Ladies campaign, in which Keds collaborates with entrepreneurs who self-identify as women and help promote their craft. The collection includes sneakers inspired by the designers’ respective ethic backgrounds that feature vivid colors and patterns that are infused into classic Keds sneaker silhouettes.

“We teamed up with Thelma Davila as part of our Ladies for Ladies collection to create this playful, fiesta-ready sneaker,” the brand explains in the press release. “Thelma sits at the helm (as founder, CEO, and designer) of her eponymous lifestyle brand, a Latin American company that handcrafts women’s accessories using traditional Guatemalan textiles.”

Gil, on the other hand, has her feet sunk into Costa Rican hues to represent her background for her two shoe designs. “Inspired by the tropical exuberance of her homeland, Elena handcrafts beautiful jewelry and accessories to bring elegant comfort to everyday.” Gil’s two sneaker silhouettes are filled with fringe and tassels to make anyone’s shoe game pop with vibrance.

The collection is already available on Keds.com in sizes 5 to 11 and retail for $70 each.

Here’s what to expect in this summery Central American-inspired collection.

Keds x Thelma Davila

Thelma Davila brings her native Guatemalan culture to the base of Keds' Triple Kickstart platform sneaker with a canvas fabric upper. The shoes are described as having a festive mood about them with cool geo shapes to make this sneaker come to life. A pair of jeans and these shoes could still set any fit on fire.

Keds x Lolita Mia

According to the Keds site, local craftswomen work under Gil's creative direction to make hand-made piece while building a woman-positive community. These Keds x Lolita Mia sneakers are representative of Gil's Costa Rican background featuring accentuating hues and textures with a woven coral upper. The shoes also use tropical hues for the added tassels that really put a spring in the wearer's step.

Keds x Lolita Mia

The Keds x Lolita Mia collab is followed up with this other sick pair of fringed sneaks. Colors and fringe are trendy for the season and Gil exhibits another lively shoe in Keds' Triple Decker style. With blush pink, orange and purple fringe sitting pretty on the feet, choosing a day-to-day outfit won't take too much thought with these popping shoes as the center of attention.

A celebration of culture can be shown in some of the most creative ways. And by Thelma Davila and Elena Gil using their cultural identity as an asset to their craft, fashion lovers are exposed to a bunch of new colorful styles to add to their shoe collections.