Nowadays, at grocery stores, or even malls, people are in athleisure wear. From yoga pants and sweats to low tops and high top sneakers, people are choosing comfort over style more and more. An athleisure brand, considered the new kid on the block, makes headway in this industry. It took one of the biggest cultural shifts in the world's history and created a tangible solution to it. The brand Actively Black redefines what it means to be a Black owned athleisure label.
Featured In The New York Times
Lanny Smith, the founder of Actively Black, works to change the landscape of what it really means to be "Black." He recently told The New York Times,
We’re really trying to redefine just even the word ‘Black’ and what that means and to take away the negative connotations to really have something that’s a sense of pride for people.
Actively Black's Moment
Smith's decision to launch during 2020 was not an accident. It was not by circumstance. The decision was a deliberate response to what he felt the world needed. In the wake of the realtime pivotal racial shift that unfolded for the world to see, companies that utilized Black culture to sell their products and made billions tried to make efforts to prove they were woke, or at least have the appearance of doing something tangible, during the unrest. In reality, they probably didn't know how to respond. And they are still working on that response moving forward. To that, Smith says,
I saw all these companies coming out with these pledges that they were going to do this and that for the Black community, and I felt like a lot of it was performative.
So smith launched Actively Black to respond. He told INC,
I'm a Black man. I'm a Black founder. And I've had my own experiences with racism and discrimination throughout my life. That's a part of who I am and the lens that I see the world through.
His label checks all the boxes. It goes head to head with titans of the industry, Nike, Lululemon, Under Armour, and more. Actively Black meets them strand for strand, material for material, in quality. Its designs are on par with adidas, and the brand already has a groundswell of growth. The label brings in over one million dollars in revenue, and it is just year one. Pivotal moves, partnership collaborations with representation in the 2022 Winter Olympic games, new launches, Actively Black carves out its own space in the industry. Now, with the launch of its first ever shoe, Actively Black is beating Lululemon to market with pre-sales overflowing with requests.
Actively Black Athleisure Shoe 1.0
The Actively Black Athleisure Shoe 1.0 drops February 2022 (but we highly recommend reserving your pair now), pre-sales are going fast. This shoe is not only comfortable and lightweight, but it is also bathed in style. Available in two colors, Triple Black and Black/White, it is truly an athleisure shoe for those on the move. People who want to look cool, collected and stylish while running errands, catching flights, walking through the airport and more, will wear this shoe well. With a portion of all proceeds returning back into Black communities, Smith is positioning Actively Black as a brand "that speaks to our culture and also has the main purpose of reinvesting back into our communities." Those who prefer comfort but don't want to give up their style (or their community) in the process, Actively Black is the shoe of choice.
Pre-Order your pair today.
