Why Style Still Matters Even When You're Disabled

Real Talk | 4 min read

We Want To Be Cool, Too

When my able-bodied friends talk about their shoe collections, nobody questions it. Nobody asks why they "need" fifteen pairs of sneakers or why they care so much about having the latest Jordans.

But when I, as a wheelchair user, want those same shoes? Suddenly it's about priorities. Suddenly I should be "grateful for what works" and focus on function over fashion.

Here's what I know: disabled people want the exact same things from our shoes that everyone else does. We just need them to work differently.

The Same Desires, Different Barriers

Every morning, you make style choices. You pick shoes that match your mood, your outfit, your identity. You choose sneakers that make you feel confident going into a meeting or comfortable hanging out with friends.

Those feelings don't disappear just because you're disabled. That desire to express yourself through what you wear doesn't suddenly become less important.

I still want to feel good about how I look. I still want shoes that reflect my personality. I still want to roll into a room and feel like me.

When Function and Fashion Clash

The fashion industry as a whole has convinced us this is an either-or situation. You can have shoes that work for your disability, or you can have shoes that look good. Pick one.

So disabled people learn to compromise. We wear orthopedic shoes that function but look medical. We choose velcro sneakers that work but feel childish. We settle for what's available instead of what we actually want.

The Emotional Weight of Footwear

People underestimate how much shoes affect your day. When you're wearing something that makes you feel good about yourself, you show up differently. You're more confident, more comfortable, more authentically you.

When you're wearing shoes that feel like a compromise, it changed everything. You're reminded constantly that your options are limited. That you're different. That you have to settle.

A customer told me recently: "I used to avoid looking down at my feet because I hated what I saw. Now I catch myself literally just looking at my shoes throughout the day."

That's not vanity. That's what happens when you finally get to wear something that feels like you.

Style Is Being Human

Humans intuitively understand that how you dress affects how you feel. They spend billions on clothes and shoes that make them feel confident, attractive, successful, cool.

Nobody questions whether they "need" those feelings. Nobody suggests they should prioritize pure function over looking good.

It seems like disabled people, however, are expected to be grateful for basic functionality and forget about everything else.

The truth is, self-expression through style isn't a luxury. It's a fundamental part of being human. It's how we communicate who we are before we even speak.

Breaking Down the False Choice

At Zipped Brands, we refuse to accept that disabled people have to choose between function and fashion. We take the shoes people actually want and make them work for different bodies.

Because here's the truth: a disabled person wanting to wear Jordans isn't asking for something special. They're asking for the same options everyone else has.

When we add zippers to Air Force 1s, we're not changing the shoe's identity. We're making sure it can be part of someone else's identity too.

The Ripple Effect of Real Choice

When disabled people get to wear what they actually want, everything shifts. We show up more confidently. We feel more like ourselves. We participate more fully in fashion culture instead of being relegated to medical alternatives.

And what's beautiful is it changes how other people see us too. Instead of being perceived as someone "managing a medical condition", we look like someone with style who happens to be disabled.

That matters more than you might think.

Same Dreams, Better Access

I didn't start Zipped Brands because disabled people have different wants than everyone else. I started it because we have the same wants but different barriers.

We want to feel confident in what we wear. We want shoes that reflect our personality. We want to look in the mirror and think "damn, I look fresh".

We want the freedom to express ourselves through fashion, just like everyone else.

The only difference? We need that fashion to work with our bodies, not against them.

Style matters for disabled people for the exact same reasons it matters for everyone else. We just need better access to it.

And that's exactly what we're building.