In 2012, Shayna Meikle wore many hats… she was a 7^th grade middle school teacher by day, and a roller derby coach and league owner by night. When her passion for roller skating outgrew roller derby and the opportunities that came along were too good to pass up, she left teaching and traveled the world to coach and skate. When she returned home in the fall of 2013, she opened her own business, Pigeon’s Roller Skate Shop. More recently, following the shop’s success and strong community -- she opened up Pigeon’s Roller Rink in 2021, which is a month-to-month pop-up in Long Beach, California. Her shop is a skater’s paradise… from apparel to skates, gear, and everything in between – you can find it at Pigeon’s in Long Beach, California!

Shayna loves utilizing cotton in her designs and apparel for the shop, because she believes that “cotton is the best material to print on and is the most natural material that is readily available for us.” She further adds, “we are athletes and skaters who truly benefit from the breathability of our cotton apparel. When something is available for us to print on that is 100% cotton, we always choose that, and our designs come out really bright!”.

Cotton apparel is not only great to move around in, but it’s also extremely versatile so you can express yourself through a multitude of color and style options. Shayna’s go-to skating outfit is “a cotton screen print skater tee, shorts and knee-high skater socks.” She feels that “not all skaters dress like this, trust me! But I definitely do because it makes me feel like myself in the best way.” We love a personal, cotton uniform! When thinking about the impact fashion has on people, Shayna feels that “fashion is a way to try to express yourself. Some people style themselves a certain way because they are feeling so great. Some style themselves a certain way because they WANT to feel great…Whatever it is, it all speaks through expression.” We couldn’t agree more. The power and beauty of fashion is that it provides you with the choice to decide what makes you look and feel good, and we love that cotton can help make that possible.

The apparel collections at Pigeon’s Roller Skate Shop fuse fashion with an active, skating lifestyle (which we love!). We asked Shayna to describe what made her focus her assortment in this way, and she explains, “we love to incorporate our active skater lifestyle with everyday fashion and comfort. For example, our cotton skater socks sport both the fashionable retro look and are super functional for roller skating.” Fun and function. She further elaborates that Pigeon’s Roller Skate Shop’s, "...cotton tees keep you cool when you’re skating while allowing you to wear a design that makes you feel confident, that represents this small but important community. The durability of cotton allows for modifications of shirts into crops and tank tops, which is super popular here in sunny Southern California.” No matter the temperature or the activity, cotton moves and breathes with you. We love that skaters can style their looks and feel empowered by wearing cotton when they’re doing what they love, skating.

Shayna feels that “cotton is great because you can do it all! Be comfortable, stylish and functional for having an active lifestyle, all at once.” As someone who sells to the skating community, and stays active herself through extreme sports, Shayna knows how important it is to have the right apparel and gear. Besides roller skating (specifically downhill roller skating) she also enjoys “biking, hiking and I definitely stay active by running after my toddler.” Her favorite thing about athleisure clothing is that “it can go from one aspect of my life (working, parenting) to the other (skating, coaching, biking) without having to change my clothing. One less thing to have to plan/organize/worry about!”

From concrete to the roller rink, to being a mother and a business owner, we are so happy that Shayna feels she can do it best in cotton. Join her and the thrill of lacing up your skates in sunny Southern California; stop by Pigeon’s Roller Skate Shop and check out her cotton apparel that will keep up with your moves and style. Or, shop online here!