4KiX Bringing Custom Shoe Accessories to Sneakers Everywhere

Story and video by Cassie Hepler, submitted photos

4KiX is a unique accessories brand for sneakers and lace-up shoes that aims to inspire fun, spread happiness and celebrate diversity in all those who wear it. Designs are inspired by pop culture, street fashion and street art, positive messages, music, cultural icons from different decades, and even the hashtag culture of today’s digital age. When this unique brand reached out to work with Explore with Cassie, we liked this fun and funky fashion concept and felt it was a great fit for finding the unusual out of the ordinary!

Please enjoy this inspirational Q&A with founder Nadine Hallak from Washington DC & London, UK below. 

Q: How did you get into fashion?

A: To be honest, I stumbled into it almost by accident. After losing my father very suddenly, I was searching for ways to survive my grief while also studying to become a certified wellness coach because I love connecting with and being supportive of others. After finding my art history sketch book in the closet at home back in London, I remembered how much I loved to draw and design, and was surprised to notice how good I was at it. Initially, I was making ornaments and it was just cathartic, but then friends and family started wanting to buy them and were calling, telling me to drop everything and switch to design. Truth be told, it was always the thing I loved most, but I had a masters degree in public communication not fashion design, and I wasn’t brave enough to imagine that I could do this. Losing my beautiful father somehow gave me courage and made me realize that the only thing to fear would be the regret of not having tried. It also made me realize this was the one thing I absolutely love to do more than anything else. I once saw an interview where someone was describing how you can identify your true passion. He said that you have to love the work of it, not just the idea of it. I love every part of this work, so I went for it and here we are.

Q: Where did the focus on shoes come from?

A:  I have always loved shoes! Namely, sneakers and boots, but shoes in general. I know, I’m such a girl! The fact that sneakers have become a fashion staple for all ages is a dream come true for me. I have always loved mixing them even with dresses ever since I was a kid. I absolutely love mixing elements that might be considered opposites such as formal attire with biker boots, for example. The rock and romance style has my name written all over it, as does the mixing of sneakers with unexpected embellishments.

Q: How many sneakers do you own and who are your favorite designers?

A: I currently own six pairs and I’m drooling over several others, so there’s a purchase in my very near future! I have a lot of favorite designers, and the more original, the better. A few of my favorites are: Gucci, Kate Spade, Nike, Gola, Veja, Superga, Chiara Ferragni, Converse, Vans, Dolce Vita, Mina Parrika, New Balance and Tretorn. 

Q: How did this brand come to life?

A: While making my ornaments, I was also drooling over all the sneakers, but startled by their hefty price tags. I just wasn’t willing to pay tons of money for sparkly canvas sneaks, so I decided to make my own. I started buying plain white sneakers and covering them with glitter, rhinestones and even feather trims. I wore them all and was getting stopped in the street constantly by people saying, “I love your kicks.” Initially, I wanted to make the whole shoe, but then I realized the thing I really love is accessorizing it, and I have always loved accessories and jewelry, so that’s how we ended up with “shoelery.” We accessorize and every other part of our lives, so why not our feet? Not to mention, customization is huge for literally every other wearable item and having a way to customize shoes is quite literally, the next trend setting step.

Q: What does the brandname 4KiX mean?

A: Our brand name is a play on the expression “just for kicks.” As I mentioned, before officially starting on this journey, I had been wearing sneakers I’d embellished and getting stopped in the street by people who often said “I love your kicks!” So I knew that had to be part of our brand name, but I also wanted to make it original, hence the spelling. The number 4 also has personal significance to me because it represents my family since there are four of us in my immediate circle. When I created this product, I wanted it to marry my desire to connect with and be supportive of others into it. I wanted to create a product and a brand that celebrates people’s uniqueness and brings them together. I think that life and fashion in particular can often feel so unattainable for various reason be it price point, sizing, style or fabric. Knowing what it’s like to feel left out for one reason or another, I wanted to create something that feels attainable to all, while maintaining high quality and high style. I believe everybody deserves to shine, feel belonging and have fun doing it, and it is my mission to help them do so.

Q: Do you think you will partner with your favorite sneaker brands someday?

A: That is the dream! In fact, I love J. Crew because of their mixing of unexpected elements and gorgeous sneaker collabs, so if they or any other brands out there are reading this, I would love collaborate on making some “shoelery” for you! I promise, you will love it.

Q: How many styles are there?

A: There are six collections and ten designs in total. We are currently sold out of our “Feeling Sheepish” design, but are hoping to restock soon.

Q: Where do you get the inspiration for your styles?

A: I’m inspired by so many things, but our designs have a lot of influence from pop culture such as music, video games, different decades, life, social media, art, music, fashion, film and other brands.

Q: What kind of shoes should you wear the “shoe jewelry” with?

A: There are no rules. I love the styling rule that says if you can’t match, clash! And that’s how I approach accessorizing. Be bold. Be adventurous. Make a statement. Have FUN. 4KiX is intended as a celebration of self-expression and personality, and in my book, there are no rules when it comes to those things, so they can literally be worn with anything from a plain white or any other block color lace up or velcro closure shoe or sneaker to any printed, sparkly or metallic background, including leopard and floral prints. We had an influencer who paired hers with leopard print Golden Goose sneakers often and they looked fantastic. My husband wears his Superheroes with red Nike sneaks and they look awesome. They can truly be worn with anything, so whatever speaks to your personality and what you feel like expressing or celebrating on any given day, goes. Fashion is about fun and my purpose is to make it feel accessible to as many people as possible.

Q: How do you put them on exactly?

A: So we’ve created a loop by cutting into the back of the leather, so you simply give it a tug to separate it from the rest of the backing, open the gap, then slide your laces or velcro strap through the back and you’re good to go! You can also wear your accessories as high up or low down on your shoe as you like. I personally like to center it on the shoe, but there are no rules! I would also recommend putting both left and right lace through the back loop to keep it sturdy, and then just tighten and lace up as you would normally do. We have a video on our website on our How to Wear tab, which is listed under FAQs, linking to a video on Instagram. Or… watch the video below to see Cassie in action!

Q: Will you have customizable 4KiX for people to create their own brand? (Like perhaps the Explore logo!)

A: Absolutely! We can currently fulfill group custom orders for 500 pieces or more, but being able to expand this to smaller orders has always been a priority and we are working towards making it a reality by exploring manufacturers closer to home.

Q: Where will the company grow from here?

A: We’re only six months launched, so we’re currently focused on perfecting our product, diversifying and scaling it, but I have a zillion ideas for more products, and the goal is to continue to innovate with fresh, new pieces, so watch this space.

Q: How can customers find you online and IRL?

A: Customers can find us on our website at https://www.shop4kix.com as well as on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/4kix.shop/ and on Facebook @4KiX. We’re not yet in stores, but we’re working on it, so follow us on social media for updates! In the meantime, you can still catch us in real life through a variety of pop ups starting the weekend of March 28-29, 2020, the weekend of May 2-3, 2020, and the weekend of May 23-24, 2020 at Artists & Fleas in Georgetown, Washington DC. You can also find us at Jump into Spring…Valley, which is a boutique shopping event at the Workroom Coop in Spring Valley, Washington DC on Thursday April 2, 2020 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and again Friday, April 3, 2020 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. We’ll be doing lots more of these pop ups, so follow us on Instagram for updates. Also feel free to DM us with any questions and or email us at hello@shop4kix.com

This is a sponsored blog post and Explore with Cassie was paid to promote this product.