Sophia Webster has teamed up with world champion cyclist Mark Cavendish on an exclusive, one-of-a-kind shoe for the Tour de France.
Ahead of the race, which kicks off tomorrow, Webster designed Cavendish’s Nike cycling shoes, which take inspiration from Greek mythology.
“Mark shared his idea to reference Hermes, the fastest of all Greek gods, for the cycling shoes of his final tour,” the designer explained. “This vision resonated with the sublime inspiration for my Evangeline sandal: the angel wing motif, so it felt natural to engineer this to elevate the shoe that Mark will wear for this most significant of races.”
On the shoe, there’s a screen-printed wing detail composed of Mark’s initials, which overlays the Nike swoosh.
“Having known Sophia for a number of years, I’ve been fortunate to see the personality behind some of the most beautiful accessories in fashion. Bold, imaginative and individual, Sophia’s designs make a statement and conjure memories, as I’d love to do in my final Tour de France. I can’t thank Sophia and her team enough for this privilege,” Cavendish added.
This marks Cavendish’s final Tour de France. The British cyclist rides for UCI World Tour team Astana Qazakstan Team and has had 54 Grand Tour stage victories, 34 of those being at the Tour de France. Cavendish is the joint all-time stage winner at the famed bicycle race. He also won the Green “sprint” jersey at the Tour de France twice in his career — first in 2011 and then again in 2021.
