Nike’s Air Max 270 React sneakers got a major, limited-edition redesign with a theme that hits close to home for many. The new design, called “In My Feels,” was specially designed by psychotherapist Liz Beecroft, and every inch of the shoe, from the swizzled swoosh on the side to the “In My Feels’ statement that’s embroidered on the heel, is centered around one resonant theme: mental health awareness.
The shoe is gorgeous, but the deeper meaning behind each design choice is what makes it stand out. Lime green is the official color of mental health awareness, Liz explained in a Teen Vogue op-ed. The wavy swoosh, she said, “expresses the fact that healing isn’t linear; we will always have highs and lows in life.” A message on the tongue says “Have a Nice Day,” balancing out the “In My Feels” detail across the heel. A portion of the shoe’s proceeds will go to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
In a series of Instagram posts, Liz talked more about the origin of the shoe and what it meant to her. “One in five Americans live with a mental health condition, but unfortunately the stigma still exists,” she wrote. The way to overcome that stigma is by sharing stories and experiences, she explained, showing that “healing is not linear, that our feelings are valid, and that we are not alone.” In essence, it’s OK to “feel the feels,” Liz wrote.
When the shoe launched to such a strong, positive reaction earlier on Monday, Liz said she was “overwhelmed with the amount of support over my ‘In My Feels’ Air Max 270 React. It means the world to me to have people backing a sneaker with a mental health initiative.” Liz, a psychotherapist and licensed social worker, knows from a personal perspective the vital importance of ending mental health stigma: she experienced panic attacks growing up and depression as an adult, sharing in her op-ed how therapy helped her stay true to herself and her passions.
Liz’s sneaker redesign comes by way of Nike’s Nike By You X Cultivator initiative, which asked 28 NYC-based creatives to design their own custom sneakers in a way that reflected their city and their stories. And Nike’s customers have responded: the limited-edition sneakers sold out in under 48 hours. Ahead, check out shots of the shoes, and read Liz’s eloquent posts to learn more.