Saysh

Saysh is an American footwear company focused on women’s sneakers, running shoes, athletic spikes, and related apparel. It was founded in 2020 by Olympic sprinter Allyson Felix and her brother Wes Felix after Allyson’s public dispute with Nike over maternity protections and athlete compensation. The founders positioned Saysh as a women-centered alternative to an athletic-footwear industry that has historically adapted men’s products for women rather than designing around women’s specific needs. The company’s early identity was closely tied to Allyson Felix’s athletic career and advocacy. Before the brand formally launched, Felix competed in custom Saysh Spike One track spikes at the United States Olympic Trials and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, held in 2021 after being postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She won bronze in the 400 metres and gold in the 4 × 400 metres relay while wearing the spikes. Her Olympic appearances generated international attention because they represented an unusual instance of an athlete competing at the Games in footwear from her own newly created brand. Felix retired from Olympic competition in 2021 and subsequently concentrated more fully on Saysh. Saysh officially launched in June 2021 with the Saysh One lifestyle sneaker. The shoe was sold for US$150 and was initially bundled with lifetime membership in the Saysh Collective, an online community intended to connect and support women. The first production run sold out through pre-orders. Athleta, the women’s apparel company that sponsored Felix, began carrying Saysh One through its online retail platform and later participated in Saysh’s financing. In September 2021, Saysh announced a logistics partnership with SCI Group to support direct-to-consumer fulfillment. The brand’s product philosophy emphasizes female-specific fit rather than simply scaling down men’s footwear. Saysh describes its FemiformityFIT approach as using lasts shaped around commonly observed female foot proportions, including a relatively narrower heel and wider forefoot. Its designs combine running and performance references with lifestyle styling, and its marketing stresses representation, women’s health, and functional design. Saysh has also promoted a Maternity Returns policy that allows customers to exchange footwear when pregnancy-related changes affect shoe size. In June 2022, Saysh raised US$8 million in Series A funding led by Iris Ventures, with participation from Redpoint Ventures and Athleta. The company said the capital would support e-commerce capacity, wholesale expansion, and new product development. The following month, it opened The Home of Saysh, a retail and community pop-up space in Culver City, California. In September 2023, Saysh introduced the Felix Runner, its first performance running shoe. It expanded its footwear range with the Saysh Two lifestyle sneaker and Evelyn Runner training shoe in 2024. Saysh’s brand message is summarized by the slogan “women deserve better.” Allyson Felix’s experience as an elite athlete, mother, and advocate remains central to the company’s communications, while Wes Felix has led business development and operations. The company has also pursued partnerships intended to connect footwear with broader women’s sports and maternal-health initiatives. In May 2024, Saysh announced a sponsorship of the Connecticut Sun of the WNBA, including involvement in the team’s maternal-health programming. Saysh remains a privately held, women-focused footwear company whose public identity combines athletic performance, lifestyle design, and advocacy for women in sport.

Saysh emerged in 2020 from Allyson Felix’s experience as an elite athlete and advocate for maternal protections in professional sport. Felix had publicly challenged Nike over the treatment and compensation of athletes around pregnancy and childbirth. After that relationship ended, Felix and her brother Wes Felix began developing a company intended to address what they viewed as persistent gaps in women’s athletic footwear and representation. Their stated ambition was to create a brand “by women, for women,” with products designed around women’s bodies rather than adapted from men’s models. The company was established during the COVID-19 pandemic and initially operated with a close connection to Allyson Felix’s athletic career. Together with footwear designer Natalie Candrian, Saysh developed the Spike One, a lightweight sprint spike intended for female athletes. Felix wore custom versions at the United States Olympic Trials and subsequently at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which took place in 2021. She won a bronze medal in the 400 metres and a gold medal in the 4 × 400 metres relay. The appearances brought substantial attention to Saysh because Felix became one of the first highly visible Olympians to compete in shoes made by her own footwear company. She retired from Olympic competition later in 2021 and shifted more of her professional attention toward building Saysh. Saysh’s formal commercial launch came in June 2021 with the Saysh One. The US$150 sneaker was presented as a lifestyle product designed specifically for women and was initially sold with lifetime membership in the Saysh Collective, an online community. The first production run sold out through pre-orders, giving the young company early evidence of consumer interest. Athleta, Felix’s apparel sponsor, began retailing Saysh One through its website and became associated with the brand’s early wholesale and investment efforts. In September 2021, Saysh also partnered with SCI Group, a Canadian logistics company, to improve direct-to-consumer fulfillment. The company’s design language centers on its FemiformityFIT concept. Saysh describes this approach as using footwear lasts that reflect common differences in female foot anatomy, such as a narrower heel and wider forefoot. The brand has sought to combine athletic utility with lifestyle appeal rather than separating performance products from fashion-oriented sneakers. The Saysh One’s visual development drew inspiration from the movement of a wrap dress and the curves of a running track. Saysh has also presented ethical and sustainable manufacturing as part of its product proposition, although detailed public data about manufacturing volumes and supply-chain performance is limited. In June 2022, Saysh announced an US$8 million Series A round led by Iris Ventures, with Redpoint Ventures and Athleta participating. The company said that the proceeds would be used to expand e-commerce infrastructure, develop wholesale channels, and bring additional products to market. In July of the same year, Saysh opened The Home of Saysh in Culver City, California. The site functioned as a physical retail experiment and a community-oriented space, reflecting the brand’s effort to link product sales with events and conversations about women’s sport. Saysh broadened its offer from lifestyle sneakers and track spikes into performance running and training. The Felix Runner, introduced in September 2023, was described as the company’s first performance running shoe. In 2024, Saysh added the Saysh Two lifestyle sneaker and the Evelyn Runner training shoe. The brand also continued to use maternal support as a distinctive part of its customer proposition through a Maternity Returns policy, under which customers can exchange shoes if pregnancy-related changes affect their size. Partnerships have remained important to Saysh’s marketing and mission. The company’s earliest and most prominent endorsement was Felix herself, whose Olympic results provided a real-world performance narrative for the Spike One. In May 2024, Saysh announced a sponsorship with the Connecticut Sun of the WNBA. The relationship included participation in the team’s maternal-health awareness activities and expressed shared interests in women’s representation and accountability in sports. Saysh is privately held and remains associated with its two principal founders. Allyson Felix serves as president, while Wes Felix serves as chief executive officer. The company’s public positioning combines women-specific product development, athletic credibility, and social advocacy. Its progress has been notable for a young independent footwear label, although publicly available information about revenue, profitability, production scale, geographic reach, and current executive changes remains limited.

• 2024

  Saysh Two and Evelyn Runner launch

  [1]Sayshen.wikipedia.org

  The brand expands its lifestyle and training footwear ranges.

• 2024

  Connecticut Sun sponsorship

  [1]Sayshen.wikipedia.org

  Saysh announces a sponsorship with the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun and supports maternal-health programming.

• 2023

  Felix Runner launches

  [1]Sayshen.wikipedia.org

  Saysh introduces its first performance running shoe.

• 2022

  Series A financing

  [1]Sayshen.wikipedia.org

  Saysh secures US$8 million in Series A funding led by Iris Ventures.

• 2022

  The Home of Saysh opens

  [1]Sayshen.wikipedia.org

  Saysh opens a retail and community pop-up space in Culver City, California.

• 2021

  Saysh Spike One appears at the Tokyo Olympics

  [1]Sayshen.wikipedia.org

  Allyson Felix competes in custom Saysh Spike One shoes at the Tokyo 2020 Games and wins bronze and gold medals.

• 2021

  Saysh One launches

  [1]Sayshen.wikipedia.org

  The company formally launches with the Saysh One lifestyle sneaker and the Saysh Collective membership program.

• 2021

  Athleta begins retailing Saysh footwear

  [1]Sayshen.wikipedia.org

  Athleta adds Saysh One to its online retail platform and becomes an early commercial partner.

• 2021

  SCI Group fulfillment partnership

  [1]Sayshen.wikipedia.org

  Saysh partners with SCI Group to support direct-to-consumer logistics.

• 2020

  Saysh is founded

  [1]Sayshen.wikipedia.org

  Allyson Felix and Wes Felix establish Saysh during the COVID-19 pandemic as a women-centered footwear company.

A women-centered athletic and lifestyle footwear brand combining female-specific fit, performance design, and advocacy for representation and maternal support in sport.

• Track-and-field spikes · 2021

  Saysh Spike One

  Saysh’s first competition-oriented shoe, the Spike One was developed for female sprinters in collaboration with footwear designer Natalie Candrian. The shoe emphasizes a female-oriented anatomical fit, lightweight construction, and sprint-specific support. Each pair was reported to weigh about 3.9 ounces including ceramic spikes. Allyson Felix wore custom Spike One footwear at the United States Olympic Trials and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, where she won medals in the 400 metres and 4 × 400 metres relay.

• Lifestyle sneaker · 2021

  Saysh One

  The Saysh One was the company’s first broadly commercial sneaker and the product used to launch the brand in June 2021. It was marketed as a women-specific lifestyle shoe combining everyday wearability with athletic design cues. The launch price was US$150, and early purchases included lifetime membership in the Saysh Collective. The first production run sold out through pre-orders, and Athleta later offered the model through its online retail platform.

• Performance running shoe · 2023

  Felix Runner

  The Felix Runner marked Saysh’s expansion into performance road-running footwear. Named for Allyson Felix, the model extends the company’s women-specific fit philosophy into a shoe intended for running rather than primarily lifestyle use. It represents a transition from the brand’s initial identity around Felix’s sprint spikes and the Saysh One sneaker toward a broader technical footwear portfolio.

• Lifestyle sneaker · 2024

  Saysh Two

  The Saysh Two is a later-generation lifestyle sneaker in the company’s women-focused everyday footwear range. It continues Saysh’s effort to combine fashion-oriented styling with the brand’s female-specific fit approach and provides an updated successor-style offering alongside the original Saysh One.

• Training shoe · 2024

  Evelyn Runner

  The Evelyn Runner is a training-oriented shoe introduced as part of Saysh’s 2024 product expansion. It broadens the brand’s offer beyond lifestyle sneakers and dedicated road-running footwear, targeting women seeking a versatile athletic model for training activities.

• 2024Connecticut Sun maternal-health partnership

  United States

  Saysh sponsored the Connecticut Sun of the WNBA and participated in activities connected with maternal-health awareness during the 2024 season.

  Outcome. The partnership extended Saysh’s women’s-sport positioning into a team platform and reinforced its maternal-health advocacy.

  Source
• 2021Allyson Felix Olympic Spike One campaign

  International

  Saysh used Allyson Felix’s competition in the Spike One at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as its defining early product and brand story. Her medals made the company’s women-specific performance proposition visible to a global audience.

  Outcome. The appearance generated international attention and established Saysh’s athletic credibility during its launch period.

  Source
• 2021Saysh Collective

  United States

  The Saysh One launch included lifetime membership in the Saysh Collective, an online community intended to support connections among women and extend the brand beyond product transactions.

  Outcome. The program became part of the brand’s community-oriented launch proposition.

  Source

• 2023

  Enter performance runningProduct launch

  Background

  Saysh initially built its identity around a lifestyle sneaker and a track spike, but its stated growth plans included additional technical footwear.

  Action taken

  The company introduced the Felix Runner as its first performance running shoe.

  Aftermath

  The launch expanded Saysh’s addressable product categories beyond lifestyle footwear and sprint competition.

  Source

• 2022

  Fund e-commerce, wholesale, and product expansionStrategy

  Background

  Following the initial Saysh One launch and early distribution activity, the company sought capital to increase operating capacity and broaden its product and channel footprint.

  Action taken

  Saysh raised an US$8 million Series A round led by Iris Ventures, with Redpoint Ventures and Athleta participating.

  Aftermath

  The company stated that the financing would support e-commerce infrastructure, wholesale entry, and new product lines.

  Series A funding. US$8 million (June 2022)

  Source

• 2021

  Launch the Saysh OneProduct launch

  Background

  After gaining attention through the Spike One and Felix’s Olympic profile, Saysh needed a scalable consumer product for its formal commercial debut.

  Action taken

  The company launched the Saysh One lifestyle sneaker at US$150 and bundled early purchases with lifetime Saysh Collective membership.

  Aftermath

  The first production run sold out through pre-orders, and Athleta added the shoe to its online retail platform.

  Launch price. US$150 (2021 launch)

  Source

• 2020

  Create a women-centered footwear companyStrategy

  Background

  Allyson Felix’s dispute with Nike over maternity protections helped expose the founders’ concerns about the treatment of women athletes and the limited availability of footwear designed specifically for women.

  Action taken

  Allyson Felix and Wes Felix founded Saysh with a stated mission to design products by women and for women, while linking the business to broader representation and advocacy.

  Aftermath

  The decision established the company’s core positioning and made Felix’s athlete-advocacy story central to its brand identity.

  Source

• 2021.06.23

  Reported2021.06.23

  Saysh launches and opens preorders for Saysh One[2]Saysh推出品牌并开放Saysh One预订complex.com

  Allyson Felix announced the launch of Saysh, a footwear brand designed specifically for women. Its first shoe, the Saysh One, was available for preorder on the brand’s website.

• 2021.06.23

  Reported2021.06.23

  Saysh announces its first sneaker[3]Saysh 宣布推出首款运动鞋popsugar.com

  The article reports the launch of Saysh, a women's lifestyle brand, and says its first product, the Saysh One sneaker, is available for pre-order.

Read more

1. 1Sayshen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Saysh推出品牌并开放Saysh One预订complex.com
3. 3Saysh 宣布推出首款运动鞋popsugar.com
4. 4Exclusive: Allyson Felix Launches Her Own Shoe Company Two Years After Breaking Up With Nikefinance.yahoo.com