Nik Kacy. Photo by Nicolette J-Pownall
NiK Kacy Footwear, the first gender-equal luxury footwear brand founded by a Queer, Trans, Asian entrepreneur, is at risk of closing—another casualty of an increasingly hostile political and economic climate for LGBTQ+ businesses.
After surviving the COVID-19 pandemic, political attacks on Trans rights, and years of economic uncertainty, founder NiK Kacy is now fighting to save not just the brand, but their livelihood and home.
“I built this company because the world told me that people like me—gender-nonconforming, Trans, and Queer—didn’t belong. With my brand, we changed that for a lot of people. But now, the reality is that businesses like mine are being pushed out,” says Kacy. “I’ve spent years trying to recover from the pandemic, but the renewed attacks on LGBTQ+ communities and small businesses under the Trump administration have made it nearly impossible to survive.”
An LGBTQ+ Business on the Brink
NiK Kacy launched their brand in 2015 through a groundbreaking Kickstarter campaign, creating high-quality footwear that defied gender norms. For nearly a decade, NiK Kacy Footwear has been a leader in inclusive fashion, worn by LGBTQ+ activists, celebrities, and allies. But the brand has faced relentless economic and political obstacles:
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Post-COVID struggles: Like many independent brands, NiK Kacy Footwear never fully recovered from the financial devastation of the pandemic.
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2024 election fallout: With the return of Trump, there has been a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ policies, economic challenges for minority-owned businesses, and declining support for queer entrepreneurs.
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A hostile business climate: Attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives have made it harder for LGBTQ+-owned companies to secure funding, partnerships, and support.
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New Trump tariffs on imports: The rising costs of goods due to new tariffs on imports will make it more expensive to produce innovative designs and increase retail prices for consumers, making it even harder for small businesses like NiK Kacy Footwear to compete.
“Trump’s policies are actively making it harder for LGBTQ+ businesses to survive—whether through attacks on diversity initiatives, economic policies that hurt small brands, or rising tariffs that drive up costs. This isn’t just about my company—it’s about the erasure of queer entrepreneurs and the spaces we’ve fought to create. If businesses like mine disappear, we lose more than just products. We lose visibility. We lose the progress we’ve made toward true inclusion in fashion and beyond.”
A Final Sale to Save the Brand
In a last-ditch effort to save NiK Kacy Footwear, Kacy is launching a Final Clearance Sale to sell off remaining inventory, stay afloat, and have more time to pivot to the ever changing economy:
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50% off all Fortune & Destiny collection shoes
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Buy 1 holster, get the 2nd for half off
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Every NiK Kacy design is limited-edition so once stock is gone, it’s gone forever
Why This Matters Now
The closure of NiK Kacy Footwear is not just about one business—it’s part of a larger crisis for LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs facing increased economic hardship, legal discrimination, and erasure.
“If you care about LGBTQ+ businesses, if you care about Trans visibility, if you care about gender equality in fashion—now is the time to act. This is bigger than me. It’s about ensuring that our community continues to have a place in this industry.”
To support NiK Kacy Footwear please visit: www.nikkacy.com
