The New York Times fashion section has unveiled the truth about skate shoes and skaters: It’s not about function, it’s about style. And if skate shoes wear out in two weeks, that’s fine as long as they’re the right shoes wearing out. As Mike Vallely told the paper: “I think skateboarding is more fashion than function,” he added. “It’s more aesthetic than anything else. It’s more rock ’n’ roll than athletics.”
Shoes are the sole of skateboarding:
You can tell a lot about skateboarders by their footwear. The shoe he or she pushes with will often be clear of marks on the top, but the sole will be worn down. The other is usually studded with holes on the outside and on the toe. If the skater is skilled, both shoes will nearly be destroyed.
The story goes on to quote DC’s Eric Obre and Vans’ Tom Cooke, who both say that fashion is important especially to people who just want to look like skateboarders.
“The idea of looking like a skateboarder without participating in the sport is the reason why the explosion happened, and allowed a company like ours to grow beyond the core scope,” Mr. Obre said.
And that explains a lot, actually.
[Link: New York Times]
Yeah, that last quote is very true. The action sports industry’s growth is similar to other mainstream sports, people just fail to realize it. If you see a guy in Nike running shoes or a Yankees t-shirt, you don’t necessarily think they play basketball or baseball.
Heck, look at MMA… those guys sell to “fans” more than participants. Hollister is showing a lot of people that embracing the posers… err, fans… can be a lucrative proposition.
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