Yummy sneakers, 'for girls . . . by girls'

Sneakers as girly confections?

In the male-dominated world of novelty kicks, that might seem a bit of a stretch. But then again, it hasn't ever been tried by the first bona-fide princesses of hip-hop.

Vanessa and Angela Simmons, daughters of Reverend Joseph "Run" Simmons, one-third of the pioneer rap group Run-D.M.C., launched their sneaker line, Pastry, on Sunday.

The design duo are also the nieces of urban fashion/lifestyle moguls Russell and Kimora Lee Simmons - the couple credited with taking hip-hop-inspired clothing mainstream with Phat Farm, Def Jam University, and the runway spectacle Baby Phat.

With such marketing brass and celebrity behind them, it should be as easy as pie for the sisters to persuade teens to lace up their feet with sweet-themed shoes.

But persuading Dad wasn't as easy: The Reverend - seen interacting with the girls and the rest of his family on the MTV reality series Run's House - made the women do their research.

"I went to my dad, and I told him I wanted to create a sneaker," said Vanessa, 23, by cell phone as she rode with her sister to the Garden State Mall.

"But they told us to come up with a concrete idea, and we had to have a business plan. So when I was laying on my bed," she said, "it just came to me - Pastry."

Pastry is available locally at Sneaker Villa, where they retail for $65. Cake is the shoe line's first collection, comprising four sneakers: Strawberry Shortcake, Chocolate Mousse, Sprinkles, and Red Velvet, each designed to look like the sweet it represents. Strawberry Shortcake is pink and white, for example; red velvet has a red lining, and the outside is striped in pink and ecru.

Angela, a 19-year-old sophomore at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology, came up with the Sprinkles sneaker. "I bake a Pillsbury cake called Confetti," she said. "Inside the cake are sprinkles that burst inside after you bake it. That's where I came up with that concept."

While sneakers designed and promoted by male rap stars are nearly a dime a dozen, women's equivalents are scarce. Missy Elliott debuted a sneaker line for Adidas in March 2006 under Yohji Yamamoto's successful Y3 label, but she's not known for overly feminine touches.

"We didn't see many sneakers for girls created by girls," Vanessa said.

Vanessa and Angela say they worked closely with designers to make the sneakers. They lobbied for an air bubble in the sole so teen wearers could have ample support in spinning and aerobics classes (although it is not recommended that one take long runs in these shoes).

To amp up the girly factor, each shoe is sold with lipgloss that smells and tastes like its shoe name. With the way fashion and celebrity continues to morph into corresponding "lifestyle" products, the girls might see these shoes sold at Sephora some day, right beside Kimora Lee Simmons' perfume, Goddess.

The women are banking on Pastry's success. A second fall collection named Fab Cookie is already in the works, with sugary names such as Chocolate Mint and Chocolate Chip. That will be followed by a Donut line with a sneaker Vanessa has already dubbed Jelly Donut.

With novelty and celebrity behind them - a future episode of Run's House will explore the full story behind the shoe launch, the Simmons sisters believe that shoes will serve as a jumping-off point to a career in fashion. Both girls say they want Pastry to be a multimillion-dollar business encompassing clothing, fragrances and makeup.

Similar to Aunt Kimora, perhaps? The women don't deny it.

"She's a big inspiration for us," Angela said.

You can see Vanessa and Angela Simmons today at Sneaker Villa at 1018 Market St. from 4 to 6 p.m. For more information, call the store at 215-279-5600, or

log on to the Web site at www.sneakervilla.com.

An after-party will follow at Flow Nightclub, 700 N.

Columbus Blvd. Doors open at 9 p.m. Admission is $10. You must be 17 to enter, and 21 to drink.

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