The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2021 - Issue 30

biteshoes DC SHOES N icknamed the ‘Land of Milk and Honey’ and ‘Golden State’ amongst others, Cali- fornia, located in the Pacific region of the United States, is famous for not only its gorgeous beaches, surfing and consistent sunshine, but also the wine, redwood trees, Hollywood, Death Valley and Disneyland. You may typically see skate- boarders and roller skaters on the boardwalk, gym enthusiasts working out and beach bodies sunbath- ing, instead of the horde of bodybuilders that once frequented Muscle Beach Venice. One of its gems, action sports brand DC Shoes, was founded by Damon Way and Ken Block in 1994. The duo met in a community college class and launched a series of startups, including Eightball Clothing and Droors Clothing which was incorporated as Circle Distribution and later became DC Shoes. After the latter was acquired by Quicksilver in 2004, Block became a rally car driver and was appointed Chief Brand Officer, while Way transitioned to a consulting role to focus on mobile accessories brand InCase. DC Shoes’ primary focus is to design and manufac- ture the highest quality footwear specialising in skate- boarding shoes, snowboarding boots, Active Terrain footwear and complementary apparel. Through pro- fessional endorsements, they accumulated a team of eight professionals and went on a World Tour to showcase their skills and DC as a brand. At the end of 1997, the brand assembled a Motocross and Surf Team that cemented their place in the Extreme Sports market. Amazing accomplishments included Damon Way’s brother Danny jumping 10 feet from a helicopter onto a DC emblazoned ramp and the brand produced the film DC Video celebrating the aerial exploits of Dan- ny Way and Colin McKay, DC’s original endorsers. The company also developed a signature shoe with the rock band Linkin Park, sponsored musical tours like Sno-Core and produced limited runs of shoes de- signed in collaboration with artists such as Shepard Fairey, Thomas Campbell and Phil Frost. Paying homage to Jean-Michel Basquiat’s artwork, DC Shoes celebrates his 21 paintings at 21 years old with creative artistic footwear and apparel. Jada Brookes is amazed by the collaborative shoe collection.