I might have a problem with saying “No”. I got asked if I want to fly to New York for a few days to hang out with AVE and suddenly I’m already on the plane on my way to the States... Well, actually in this case I might have swam to NYC even if I got told “No, don’t go visit AVE”. Luckily I didn‘t have to swim and got the chance to experience the Big Apple with a crew of motivated shop owners. Enjoying Tompkins Square, Supreme Bowl and one or two beers on our way to a concert with bands selected by Ben Kadow.
I think it’s just that shoe evolving from my last shoe, the Rapidweld Pro. Kinda the natural evolution to try out what you can do with a cupsole and I definitely was a little nervous about it but also willing to do it because I am making shoes with Vans for 15 years and they all have been vulc. So it really have done that and even with my last shoe it’s like „well how do we start to do some new stuff, you know?“. So that was kinda the evolution of that and then any apprehancion towards the cupsole was always my past experience with it 15 years before which, were very like stiff and bulky and you couldn’t feel your board. You know here we are in 2019 and I remember the first day of skating in this shoe and I was like „wow“! It was good right out of the box, like a pair of vulcanized shoes. And it saves my feet compared to the vulc.
Yeah, it’s more comfortable for sure.
I was pretty much there the whole way through but I would say that the majority of the design – based on what I want – was the design team making that. They are so good in what they do and I could never make anything better then what they’re gonna bring to the table cause that’s what they’re doing all day. You know so again it’s just an evolution from the Rapidweld. I knew I just wanted welded parts and no stitching and make the shoe lighter and durable and not bulky. Like a real technical shoe not one that just looks technical. So they take my ideas and then design the shoe and I’m like: „Sure whatever“. That’s kinda how it works.
