The London brand Stepney Workers Club is inspired by the inclusive culture of the Workers Sports Club to launch a shoe proposal loaded with message and concept. Freedom of thought, a free spirit and a feeling of unity are some of the maxims of its manifesto.
Photo: GQ
It is a young brand, but not a beginner at all. Created in 2018 by Simon See and Roger Pereira, Stepney Workers Club makes clear in each design the level of expertise of its founders. The brand’s collections feature timeless and unisex pairs, made from traditional processes that leave aside excesses and take care of the artisan character of each piece. Their designs are characterized by a large robust sole with high cushioning and flexibility, ready to adapt to the rhythm of life of each user.
In fact, the brand was born from the Stepney Workers Sports Club, a club founded around 1920 with the goal of promoting an alternative sports league to the UK state one. It is an anti-fascist and anti-war activist group, of which S.W.C. takes the slogan “Freedom of Sport. Freedom of Thought” as its motto. The brand implements the values of unity, freedom of thought and free spirit to achieve classic, democratic products with clear social principles.
Together with the designer Roger Pereira, Simon See found an old canvas sneaker with the typical vulcanized sole from Converse and Vans. The sole represented for them the democratization of a product, something that was very much in line with the principles of the Stepney Workers Sports Club. From that idea, they built a new sneaker led by a logo of shaking hands.
“This is not just another sneaker. It is not a sneaker for parents, or a technological sneaker, or a luxury sneaker,” says Simon See. “We see this as something a little more like a wardrobe essential element.” His first model, the Dellow, has an affordable price and a simple design so that everyone can wear it and match it with anything.
Get a hold now of the latest from Stepney Workers Club at FOOTDISTRICT.