Zn Footwear (pronounced zen) has a much different mission than most luxury sneaker brands: set prices below $200, offer truly premium materials, and give back to those less fortunate.
A Chicago native raised in Country Club Hills, Mark Wilkins started his brand from the ground up — and that isn’t easy. After college, he travelled to China to play basketball. It was there that his sneaker ideas began to blossom.
Once Wilkins returned Stateside he got to work with Nike on several projects. As one would expect, that brought new opportunities, like working with nationwide retailer Finish Line.
Now, his brand Zn Footwear is live and popping; it just hosted a successful launch event in Chicago where Wilkins sold shirts and took orders for sneakers — and the Henny was definitely flowing.
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The brand, Zn Footwear, is inspired by the Chinese word zen, a state of enlightenment, happiness, and self-fulfillment we can all achieve. However, some need help achieving that state, and Wilkins has made giving back a central tenet of his brand.
According to Wilkins, Zn Footwear will donate 5 pairs of sneakers per 25 pairs sold. And to top that, a portion of all sales will help fund inner city teen high school and post high school education.
“The goal is to sell as many as possible so I can help as many people as possible,” Wilkins told WearTesters.
Wilkins first sneaker, the Zn Footwear Prototype 1, is about as luxurious as it gets and it retails for a fraction of what luxury brands are offering for the same quality: $170. Zn Footwear is focused on comfort and premium materials — natural suede, natural leather, satin, ostrich, cowhide, pony hair, and more.
The Prototype 1 rides atop Format Cushioning that is wrapped in a full-length TPR milk white phosphorescent outsole. The shoe shares Wilkins’ affinity for straps, and it stays breathable with its engineered nylon mesh upper. And did I mention the sneaker glows in the dark?!
Zn Footwear has a lot more coming. This year, four to six different colorways of the Prototype 1 will release, and next year will bring even more flavors as well as a runner. Growth is on the horizon.
The Zn Footwear Prototype 1 LE in Noir is available now Stateside and internationally at ZnFootwear.com. Each pair is numbered 1 to 400, and it’s a full size run only (the brand suggests sizing up if you’re in between sizes) with sizes 15 and 16 made to order.
Let us know if you’re inspired by Mark Wilkins and what he’s doing with Zn Footwear. I know that I can’t wait to see the runner.
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Photos via Zn Footwear / Mark Wilkins
