Born and raised in Queens and now living a bi-coastal existence, Snobette Sneaker Awards panelist Sophia Chang is young but still an OG in sneaker culture. Known for her playfully exuberant illustrations, her portfolio is kind of incredible and reads like a who’s who in streetwear and sneaker culture and that’s just her fashion-related projects.
While the pandemic brought a lot of projects to a halt, Chang stayed busy co-launching Commonace, a women’s online sneaker store. She was also tapped for Topps Project 2020 series, an effort enabling her to make a connection with her Queens roots through cards for two Mets players.
Check out our exchange with Chang along with her top five picks for 2020 below.
Snobette: This year you and Romy launched Commonace, an online sneaker store for women What surprised you about the types of shoes women are seeking?
Sophia Chang: “We were so overwhelmed with love and joy from our community. Once we launched, we started to see support pour in from customers, brands and retailers who were excited to see something like this exist. We saw such a wide range of purchases, which is what we believed in, and especially drops that came out just a few years ago.”
Snobette: You were tapped to redesign 20 Topps baseball cards featuring icons of the game. Which player resonated the most for you?
Sophia Chang: “Topps Project 2020 was super exciting, I was commissioned for an entire year to illustrate my version of its top 20 most iconic cards.
“I’ve worked with clients like NBA, MLS, MLB in the past so it’s really exciting to create a collectible series of artwork. I’m a bit biased, but my favorite cards are my Mets players Nolan Ryan and Doc Gooden, since I’m from Queens!
“With Doc Gooden I was able to get on the phone and speak to him about his time in baseball and any specific illustrations he may have wanted me to include for his card. It was a great collaborative experience.”
Snobette: What’s one sneaker silhouette you’ve been wearing heavy over the past month?
Sophia Chang: “I’ve been wearing my Nike Air Max 2090s since we’ve in lockdown partially because I’m spending more time going on walks.
Sophia Chang’s five favorite sneakers 2020:
5. Under Armour HOVR Summit Fat Tire
4. Vans and MoMA Old Skool: ComfyCush
3. Nike Vaporwaffle and Sacai: green
2. Nike Air Zoom Spiridon 2 Cage and Stüssy : fossil
- Air Jordan 1 High OG Dior
