Angela Simmons is revisiting one of the biggest fashion success stories of the late 2000s, revealing that Pastry exploded into a business generating about $75 million in annual sales—and even competed with Jordan Brand at Foot Locker.
Speaking with Shannon Sharpe on Club Shay Shay, Simmons reflected on building the company alongside her sister, Vanessa Simmons, while they were still teenagers. The footwear line launched in 2007 and took off during the sisters’ reality TV run, transforming from a celebrity-backed startup into one of the era’s most recognizable women’s sneaker brands.
Sharpe pointed out that Pastry grew from roughly $15 million in sales to $75 million during the production of Daddy’s Girls, adding that the brand even surpassed Jordan at Foot Locker. Simmons admitted the milestone caught them completely off guard.
“It was a really fun run with that,” she said. “We learned a lot business-wise being 17 and stepping into something that big… getting the news that our sneakers were competing with Jordan at the time, we were like, ‘What? We’re competing with Jordan?’ You know, because we love Jordan.”
According to Simmons, Pastry succeeded because it entered a market that had largely ignored women. “There were no sneakers for women by women who understood the design part,” she said. “It just stood out.”
The response at retail was unlike anything the sisters expected.
“Going to these Foot Locker stores and 3,000-plus people lining up just to come see us and us to sign autographs and for them to buy sneakers was like, ‘Whoa, this is different.'” Simmons recalled.
Pastry became instantly recognizable for its playful dessert theme. Sneaker colorways were named Red Velvet, Chocolate Moose, and Strawberry Shortcake, while early releases arrived in cake box-style packaging. Some versions even featured light scents and matching lip gloss.
The company eventually expanded beyond footwear into apparel and accessories before evolving into a performance-focused dance brand. Today, Pastry is best known for producing split-sole dance sneakers worn by professional, collegiate, and high school dance teams, with Vanessa Simmons returning as creative director to help shape its current direction.
Simmons also credited reality television for giving the business its first major boost. “It gave my sister and I… a platform to do it,” she said. “We started something there. We traveled the entire world… But that was all based off of being on a show that people actually got to watch unfold.”
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