Skate Style

An Inside Look at Sole Tech’s R&D Process

Often viewed as more of a lifestyle than an athletic activity, skateboarding sometimes slides under the radar when it comes to discussing high-performance sports and the products designed for them. However, leading brands making apparel and footwear in the skate market know how to push the envelope when it comes to technology. And the products they manufacture have very specific style and performance needs.

California-based Sole Technology is one example of a company in the skate industry that aims to combine technology, style and an eco-friendly agenda with a traditional skate heritage. With products available in more than 70 countries and annual revenues close to $200 million, Sole Tech is the largest, privately held action sports company. The company’s umbrella includes skate brands etnies, éS and Emerica, the lifestyle fashion brand Altamont Apparel and ThirtyTwo, which is a snowboard boot and apparel brand.

Pierre André Senizergues, founder and CEO of Sole Technology, a former professional skateboarder, is known in the action sports world for his longstanding commitment to environmental initiatives. To date, at its corporate offices, Sole Tech has installed 616 solar panels and water-free urinals. The brands have also undergone a conversion to water-based cement manufacturing.

Sole Tech’s efforts also include the appointment of an environmental affairs manager, corporate-wide recycling efforts and the launch of a sustainable footwear and apparel collection.

The company’s biggest and most mainstream brand is etnies, and in this brand, Sole Tech’s eco-friendly theme is carried out in the etnies SEED Project, a collection of footwear and apparel that is made of organic, sustainable and recyclable materials. The Fall 2008 SEED Project collection incorporates hemp, organic cotton and vegetable dyes.

The etnies SEED Project is a member of 1% for the Planet and with the purchase of these products, 1% of the proceeds will be donated to benefit Sambazon’s Sustainable Acai Project, which helps to protect biodiversity and create employment for small family farmers in the Amazon Rainforest
Outside of the SEED Project, Sole Tech’s apparel and footwear focus blends performance and style with elements of eco-consciousness.

APPAREL

Todd Casselberry, director of apparel merchandising and design, Sole Technology, explains, “We start thinking about which fabrics and textiles to use between 12 and 15 months before the apparel hits the market.”
Skate style requires a focus on the appearance of the apparel, but the R&D process also includes a significant focus on performance, feel, durability, sustainability and price.

“All of these factors are very important, and knowing how to incorporate these types of features into very specific price points is the biggest challenge,” says Casselberry. “Also making sure that the product still looks cool is key. etnies is committed to creating functional products that provide the most style, comfort and durability. We know that people look for style first because they want to look good, so it is important that the functional elements of the fabric work, and the garment still looks really cool.”

The target demographic for etnies has pretty specific needs and demands when it comes to product.

“The skateboard consumer needs products that fit right to meet their personal style, and offer high-performance features like anti-microbial and strong flexible fabrics,” notes Casselberry. “A few of the fabrics that etnies currently offers to meet these needs are CoolMax Denim and bamboo. The etnies Team II jean is a standard fit jean that features CoolMax denim, and the etnies Team Eco Denim is truly a high-performance, eco-friendly skate jean.”

The Team 2 Eco Denim jean incorporates bamboo, and the end result is an anti-microbial jean that wicks moisture and increases blood circulation, which in turn reduces bruising and fatigue, according to Casselberry.

Interestingly, while etnies is offering performance fabrics in its skate apparel, the brand does not see it as must-have from the consumers’ standpoint. “Not really, not yet,” says Casselberry. “But if it looks good, and is at a good price, they will see the value in it.”

In the skate market, however, etnies does see a growing demand for the use of green/sustainable materials. “It's becoming more relevant,” says Casselberry. “The culture is changing quickly, and a few of the items using green and sustainable materials are the Team Eco Jean and bamboo T-shirts. Looking ahead to the future, the specific fabric and textiles that we see trending in skate apparel are organic cottons and bamboo textiles.”

FOOTWEAR

Wallace Mills, senior product manager, etnies footwear, says that the R&D team starts pinpointing which materials to use in its shoe collections about one year before the product hits the market, and that the process aims to yield functional footwear that provides style, comfort and durability.

“As a skateboard shoe company, it is really important for us to meet with our professional team riders to get their feedback on all aspects of the footwear,” says Mills. “It is our goal to translate our team’s needs into the footwear we sell. Think about the demands a professional skateboarder puts into his shoes compared to an average kid.”

Mills says the design team operates on the premise that making shoes that meet the demands of a pro means the end-product will more than meet the needs of an average kid.

“The basic clean style and feel is really what our customers and team riders are looking for,” says Mills. “And utilizing durable and high-performance materials that still give it that classic feel is very important. Skateboarders are really pushing the limits today, and with this progression comes ever-increasing abuse and wear on their shoes and bodies.”

He adds, “Price is always important, and it is even more important in our current slow economic environment.”

The company’s footwear lab, called the Sole Technology Institute (STI), is dedicated to the study of the biomechanics of skateboarding and action sports. “STI Research has developed new technologies that will help reduce the risk of injury without compromising board feel or control,” says Mills. etnies Fall 2008 line incorporates skateboarding-specific technology developed at STI including System G2, System G2O2 Dual Impact, STI Foam Level 2 and System FLO2 Tongue Ventilation.

“System FLO2 Tongue Ventilation uses a nice open-cell mesh so when you are pushing down the street to can feel the air on the top of the foot,” says Mills. “Skateboarders’ feet get incredibly hot, and so in addition to needing a shoe with protection they need a shoe that breathes. This makes it so skateboarders feet are cooler, dryer and more comfortable and it also makes it so their feet don’t stink so much.”

Skateboarders also need shoes that offer them protection and hold up to the abrasive grip tape found on the top of the board. The shoes also need to withstand the high-impact nature of skateboarding.

“Foot protection comes from the shoes upper and the materials and construction of the upper are very key,” says Mills. etnies is utilizing suede, synthetic nubuck, action leather, denim, canvas and full-grain leather as upper materials in its Fall ’08 collection.

The construction of the shoe’s upper also plays an important role in its durability and the etnies Fall 08 Mikey Taylor Pro Model shoe utilizes a single piece of leather with minimal stitching making the shoe much more durable. The Taylor also has a vulcanized outsole construction that gives the upper less contact with the board preserving those upper materials.

“We are currently testing and working with a few different materials that we have found to last longer than canvas but still maintain that classic look,” says Mills. “A couple of these materials are carbon fiber fabrics and canvas-backed suede.”
Mills believes that there is a growing need for green and sustainable materials in skate footwear, but the market isn’t “demanding” it yet.

“I think it is really important to create good skateboard footwear that’s in style and on-trend in a sustainable way,” he notes. “Sustainable skate footwear has to happen; the world is only so big, and we need to figure out a way live sustainably.”

As far as where textile trends are headed in skate footwear, Mills says, “Right now it is really about taking classic materials and trying to infuse them with something special. An example of this is using canvas-backed suede. An upcoming trend is utilizing fabrics and materials from the mid-90’s to create footwear with simple clean lines.”

SNOW

Sole Technology’s snowboard brand, ThirtyTwo, offers both apparel and boots. While the performance needs are obvious, the brand’s fabric focus now includes a strong eco story. The eco-friendly items added to the brand’s apparel line this year include Merino wool socks and first layer, recycled polyester windbreakers, bamboo first layer items and t-shirts made from recycled plastics (PET).

In its boots, the brand’s sourcing focus centers around “locally grown” in order to reduce its carbon footprint. ThirtyTwo recently made a shift to using local material suppliers. By sourcing closer to home the brand aims to reduce the transport needs and subsequently, the amount of CO2 in the air.

Additionally, designers and developers aim to create “smart” patterns with optimal material use and minimal waste. All ThirtyTwo boots are made of 100 percent synthetic materials and are classified by the brand as vegan. Also, the boots’ foam midsole/outsole designs eliminate or reduce the need for rubber and the glue used to bond it. F

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