Don Brown discusses being at Sole Tech for 33 years, Pierre-André started Etnies in the late 1980s, Sole Tech helped make the first DC Shoes, Nike's strategic plan to take over the skate shoe market, the Sole Tech sale to The Nidecker group, companies now a days have F.O.G.O.B. fear of going out of business, being diagnosed with prostate cancer, getting sober and much more!
Timestamps
00:00:00 Don Brown
00:01:22 intro
00:02:30 Been at Sole Tech for 33 years. Recently sold to Nidecker Group
00:06:35 Skating blowing up in the 1980s
00:07:08 Seeing the 10-year cycle
00:09:52 Pierre-André started Etnies in the late 1980s
00:14:38 All the core skate shoe brands were friends in the mid-90s
00:16:42 Sole Tech helped make the first DC Shoes
00:22:43 Olympics is a big money grab - 35 commercials during finals
00:25:54 Do skaters even know about skater-owned things anymore?
00:32:16 Nike's strategic plan to take over the skate shoe market
00:40:05 Opening up Zumiez & PacSun
00:41:58 Nike came into surfing, then pulled out and screwed the whole industry
00:50:50 Brands keeping up with trends
00:55:31 Why they created Sheep Shoes
00:57:29 Vegan shoes most searched thing on their websites
01:05:15 Nidecker sale
01:18:55 F.O.G.O.B. - fear of going out of business
01:21:30 How's Pierre-André doing after the sale?
01:25:55 Diagnosed with prostate cancer
01:33:08 Withdrawals from tough guy shots
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