After splitting from Nike two years ago, track star Allyson Felix is starting her own shoe company. In a post on her Instagram account, Felix announced that her shoe brand will be called Saysh, which "represents hope, acceptance, and the power to create change."
The Saysh One sneaker is going to be sold for $150.
"When you see me run, know that I'm not running for medals. I'm running for change," Felix, who has won six Olympic gold medals, wrote on Instagram. "I'm running for greater equity for each of us. I'm running for women. More than anything, I'm running toward a future where no woman or girl is ever told to know her place."
Felix's had a very public split from Nike in 2019.
She wrote an op-ed in the New York Times about wanting to start a family and acknowledged that it could jeopardize her sponsorship deal with Nike. After she had her daughter in November 2018, Felix revealed that Nike offered her a deal that would pay her 70 percent less than what she had been earning before she was pregnant.
Because of that, Felix decided not to re-sign with Nike a year later. She eventually signed with Gap's Athleta brand, before branching out on her own.
"No woman should have to choose between being a professional and being a Mother. Now, because of that fight, sponsorship contracts look different for a lot of athletes," Felix wrote in her Instagram post. "During my pregnancy, I had complications. And I realized I needed to use my voice to bring awareness to another injustice: a racial injustice in our healthcase system. I spoke to the United States Congress about my experience — and I continue to use my words for change."
