Work with COMUNITYmade on a custom shoe project: https://www.comunitymade.com/pages/custom-shoes
One of the best stories in sneakers this year didn’t happen with one of the biggest brands in the industry. It happened when a small, made in Downtown Los Angeles footwear brand was approached by a father who couldn’t find track spikes for his son. This was going to be Wesley’s first season participating in track and field, but it almost didn’t happen because there wasn’t a size 16 anywhere to be found. Derek Gordon searched online and at local sporting goods stores.
He ran across STEVE on COMUNITYmade and took the drive over to the showroom. COMUNITYmade’s production manager, Noah, spoke with Mr. Gordon and explained that the company hadn’t ever made a track spike before. Mr. Gordon and his son didn’t have any other options, especially since Wesley had chosen one of the toughest events in track and field, the 300m hurdles. Noah and Mr. Gordon began coordinating and less than a month later Mr. Gordon was able to pick up his son’s custom track spikes. The team at CM had cobbled together a sprint spike made to order. They elevated the construction with a premium leather and mesh and included a sport insole from Blumaka.
The result was a first-time track and field athlete won league in his custom spikes. When people in the sneaker community say that the sneaker culture is dead, this is one of the reasons I explain that looking only at what’s popular will kill any culture. On the outskirts of our enthusiasm about kicks are stories like these waiting to be told.
