2 days ago
Volleyball superstar Gabby Reece reveals how her 'challenging' size 12 feet led to her tomboy style
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Former professional volleyball player Gabrielle Reece shot to fame when she won the first-ever Beach Volleyball World Championships in 1997, and she went on to make history as the first female athlete to design a shoe for Nike.
Now, more than 30 years later, she has partnered with a different shoe company - teaming up with podiatrist-beloved Vionic as their first ever well-being ambassador.
Reece, 55, collaborated with the California-based brand because of her focus on size inclusivity, as the retired athlete is six-foot-three with size 12 feet.
In fact, The New York Times bestselling author even wrote a book that jokingly referenced her footwear issues called My Foot is Too Big For This Glass Slipper.
'Don't get me started on how many times I have tried to shove my feet into shoes that didn't fit,' Reece told Daily Mail.
'I was a size 11 when I was younger, and shoes were only made up to a size 10 for women,' Reece continued.
After she gave birth to her two daughters kids, she realized she had become a size 12, which made her relationship with footwear even more 'tumultuous and sometimes frustrating.'
Plus, she said it was 'challenging for things to look cute in those larger sizes.'
Reece collaborated with the California-based brand is because of size inclusivity, as the retired athlete is six-foot-three and has size 12 feet
While she laughs about it now, she admitted that there were days where she was desperately trying to find shoes she 'wouldn't regret' wearing right after she walked outside.
Many times, the model explained that she would craft her outfits 'to work around whatever shoes' she could find.
And now, she wondered if her 'tomboy style' stemmed from her difficulty procuring footwear since she'd often choose men's loafers since it was easy.
Back in her modeling days, she would often pose barefoot.
'I always felt like it wouldn't be worth it in the long run to suffer with an uncomfortable pair of shoes or shoes that did not fit, but I certainly tested that out several times,' Reece admitted.
The podcast host told the Daily Mail that she joined forces with Vionic because their 'values align - science first, then fashion.'
When Vionic first approached Reece, she had already been wearing the brand for a few years.
She was excited to make a shoe with them because since it was the first sneaker she has done since becoming the first female athlete to design for Nike.
She's focusing on creating the highest performing walking shoe that Vionic has ever made, infused with new technology, but still meeting her aesthetic sensibility
'I went into that process with the same exact intention that I'm going at developing this shoe with Vionic,' Reece told the Daily Mail.
The role was also a fit because for Reece, it's part of her everyday life with her husband, surfer Laird Hamilton, 61.
'Wellness is more of a value than something we do,' Reece admitted, adding that they often think about the things they can do everyday to take care of themselves.
'Not to be perfect and not to never enjoy chocolate cake, but to have a practice in place that continues to support vitality,' she said.
'Not to mention, if your hope is for your children to be healthy, your best shot at that is modeling those rituals versus speaking about them.'
She and her husband share two daughters and parent his daughter from his past marriage to surfer and clothing designer Maria Souza.
Now, her workouts are all about about performance, 'but not the type you need for sport,' she said.
Instead, she focuses on 'working on her weaknesses so that she can do all of the things she wants to do forever.'
She still has a strength training practice, and has added water workouts, more walking, and more effort towards her recovery.
'I have been fortunate to be with my husband for almost 30 years and wellness has been something we share, but we both also independently have a personal relationship with,' Reece shared.
