Sole Technology has been an important part of the skate industry for decades now, with many industry executives gaining their formative industry experience there over the years.
With Pierre André Senizergues, the CEO and owner of Lake Forest, California-based Sole Technology, announcing in late May that he is selling the etnies, éS, and Emerica skate footwear brands and the ThirtyTwo snowboard brand to the Nidecker Group, we wanted to hear from both former employees and skateboard industry veterans about what the Sole Tech brands, and the company overall, has meant to the industry.
People mentioned below who have been integral to Sole Tech over the years include Pierre, of course, and also Don Brown, the head of marketing for the company and all of the brands who has worked by Pierre’s side since nearly the beginning, and Yasemin Oktay Hume, who worked from more than 20 years at Sole Tech over two stints with the company, rising from sales director in the early days to VP of brand development. And there are many, many others.
Pierre, Don and many other Sole Tech executives are still working with the company, and are now part of the Nidecker Group.
Sebastian Palmer, GM of New Balance Numeric, who worked as brand manager of éS during his career
“As a retailer from 1993 in the UK, I experienced the disruptive innovation that first etnies and then éS and Emerica brought to the skate industry in waves. Sole Tech, along with other notable brands like DC, felt like this generation of skaters were taking shoe making into our own hands. It was a period of decline for Airwalk and Vans, and the athletic brands were still struggling to understand the demand.
The eS Accel OG. File photo courtesy of Sole Tech.
“Sole Tech shoes like the Rap, Sal, Lo-Cut, and Accel remain classics to this day – in addition to the many (team rider) signature skate shoes that they first brought to the world. The incredible talent that rode Sole Tech shoes at one time or another are forever enshrined in the incredible videos from ‘High 5’ to ‘Stay Gold’ to ‘Menikmati’ that changed skateboarding for the better. Go Skateboarding Day, Wild in the Streets, and the Game of SKATE were also all uniquely created there. Beyond skateboarding, Sole Tech also had incredible BMX and snow programs that embraced authenticity, with a people- and product-first mentality that respected the individual nuances of each of those respective cultures.
“When I moved to the U.S. to work for Pierre and Don in 2009, I felt the weight of this legacy. Not only the incredible skaters but also all the designers, product experts, marketers, photographers and film makers that Sole Tech nurtured is testament to their vision, talent spotting and the supportive culture they established. The Sole Tech family remains across many brands now and we all look to see what this new chapter will bring and appreciate the start to many careers that were enabled in Orange County but spread worldwide.”
Steve Van Doren, whose family founded Vans, where he has worked since he was 10 years old and now heads up events and promotions
“I have known Don and Pierre since the beginning, they were actually Vans teams riders when they were freestyle skateboarders.
Steve Van Doren. SES file photo.
“Then they started their own company, and I have always revered that they survived for more than 30 years through the ups and downs of skateboarding. They never went public. A lot of skate shoe companies came and went during that time.
“And they are really great people. Don and I sat on the board of IASC (the International Association of Skateboard Companies) for two decades for free. Don created Go Skateboarding Day. A lot of good things in skateboarding came from Sole Tech, they had the best team riders and they always got them early. There might have been bigger companies, but nobody was more core.
“They always did it for skateboarding, and they stayed true to skateboarding. We didn’t do that always at Vans. There were some Vans leaders that tried to get into athletics, and we got slapped down for that and went into Chapter 11 (in the late ‘80s.) Sole Tech never sold out.
“I know financial things happen, and hard times happen, but they are still alive and still making shoes and they have kept their core focus and their values. I totally respect them for that.”
Brad Alband, founder Autumn Headwear, who worked as the sales and design manager for ThirtyTwo Snowboards for four years in addition to other roles in the industry
“The word family gets thrown around a lot in action sports. I’ve always cringed a bit at this because it could be used as a crutch for things that weren’t always going well or in some cases, would wear out its initial meaning when the company sold and the founders were no longer in the parental role, but were more stepparents.
“But Sole Tech was family the whole time – the good and bad parts of being part of something bigger than just you. Pierre, Don, and Yasemin set the tone of work hard/play hard and it was up to you to figure out the balance.
Brad Alband back in the day in the ThirtyTwo booth at SIA. SES file photo.
“When you think about the quality of humans that came through those offices, you could argue the best of what Nike solidified itself in the skate market with or Vans re-established itself with came largely from Sole Tech alumni. The company was a design and marketing machine at its peak.
“Like everything in this industry though, the highs are unsustainable when we’re dealing with trends and customers always wanting to be on what’s next. At its core, Sole Tech was there for the betterment of skateboarding, the act not the trend, and as things shifted to more of a ‘lifestyle,’ I think Sole Tech had a hard time transitioning to something less authentic.
“My biggest regret over my career is how I left Sole Tech. I was so sure what had happened to the skate shoe wall with skate shoe brands losing space to sporting goods brands (like Nike and Adidas) was going to happen to snowboard boots, and I left ThirtyTwo saying so.
“It was the most wrong I’ve been. Nike and Adidas came in and left in snowboard boots. ThirtyTwo was able to hold off DC and most of the ski brands to remain a top brand in snow doors. It will be interesting to see now that it is part of a bigger snow company like Nidecker and the global reach it has, how much better ThirtyTwo can be.”
Sam Schuman, owner 303 Boards in Denver and Boulder, Colorado, which includes an online business and three stores
“The Sole Tech brands set the bar for a lot of skate footwear – the product, the (pro) teams, marketing, the videos they put out. The videos used to be a really big thing – we did some premieres locally and we sold out some big theaters in Denver when a new éS or Emerica video would come out.
303 Boards Owner Sam Schuman. SES file photo.
“Back then (in the mid-’90s), there was no DTC, people had to come to places like ours to find the latest Sole Tech shoes. A new pro model or new color would come out, and people would come flooding in to buy them. We’d be chasing, trying to get more product. That doesn’t happen that much anymore with skate shoes, now that happens more with hype shoes (for sneakerheads).
“Now a lot of our customers are more focused on Sole Tech’s heritage styles, and those are popular when a new color of an old model gets reissued, and there are also a couple modern styles that usually hit, too.
“I understand things happen in business, and you have to sell sometimes. I just hope the new owners keep Don. He is the one that has made and kept the relationships with all the shops, even in the messy times, through the years. Knowing the history, and having the relationships with shops is probably why Sole Tech has even lasted this long. Don is vital.”
Brian Garofalow, CEO of Skullcandy, who has worked at Sole Tech and for several other industry brands
“My very first ‘real job’ was at Sole Tech in 1999. The company and the culture set the bar for my entire career, and they were amazing when I was there. I was trying to do anything to get my foot in the door and started in the accounting department filing paperwork. Meeting Pierre and seeing that a skateboarder built this awesome company with four brands (at the time), hundreds of passionate people, and sales on fire was so incredibly inspiring to me.
Brian Garofalow and Justin Regan, who started their careers at Sole Tech, are now leading Skullcandy. SES file photo.
“A couple memories that stick out: One of the projects I was fortunate to work on was the ThirtyTwo Retailer Tour. We traveled around the country demo-ing snowboard boots with the best shops in the industry at awesome resorts. I was in my early 20s standing on the top of Park City Mountain Resort with a ton of fresh snow, blue skies, and dozens of retailers that are still close friends thinking, ‘I can’t believe I get paid to do this!’
“Just a few months later, I’m in Hollywood helping with the premiere of Menikmati with éS, getting to watch skateboarding history be made, hanging out with absolute legends of the industry who would go on to sell tons of shoes. Other key memories: The Emerica Mansion, Ryan Sheckler’s incredible career, working on my first X Games, the wild sales meetings (and tough guy shots) – the list is long.
“I truly believe there is opportunity today for Sole Tech to get back to, and beyond, its highest heights. Thank you, Pierre, for the start in the industry, all the memories, the inspiration and motivation. And thank you Don Brown, Yasemin Hume, Piney and so many more.”
Brad Lyle, currently national key account manager at Vans, worked for 13 years at Sole Tech, including as VP of sales
“Pierre’s decision to sell the Sole Tech brands definitely came as a shock to me. We remain close friends to this day, as has been the case with so many of his former employees I’m sure. He set out to not only think of us like family, but treat his team like family.
“We often made the connection the brands were ‘like his kids’ (back before he actually had kids). I know things have been tough going back to the ’08 recession and with larger, more capitalized competitors finally breaking through, he prioritized sustaining not only our planet, but the lifestyle and subcultures derived from action sports.
Brad Lyle at at Shop Eat Surf event back in his Sole Tech days. SES file photo.
“Pierre always spoke in terms of a 100-year vision, not the next quarter or next year. He was always in it for the right reasons. In coming to terms with his own phase of life (which I’ll add is still – TOTALLY young at heart!) I’d assume he wanted to pass the torch to a like-minded group of privately owned and respected brands, which is the sense I get about the Nidecker Group. I am sure there is some bittersweet emotions that went with it, but I’m also confident the new group will embrace all that was good from the heritage and responsibly bridge to a modern era. Pierre would not have sold the brands if he didn’t firmly believe that.
“I really can’t say enough about Pierre, Don, and the whole Sole Tech Crew past and present. We are literally peppered all over the industry these days as market conditions have evolved. Some of the best ever are still leading companies and teams – both large and small.
“It will be impossible to ever duplicate that era, but hopefully the spirit and vision for our culture can continue to thrive for many eras to come thanks in large part to all Pierre did to help create the lifestyle and culture – for skateboarders, snowboarders, and surfers.”
Justin Regan, currently VP of global marketing at Skullcandy, who worked for 13 years at Sole Tech in several jobs, including as global brand manager for Emerica and Altamont Apparel
“From 1997 to 2011, I moved up from the warehouse to eventually become the global brand manager for Emerica and launched the Altamont brand. Don and Pierre mentored me, shaping my marketing skills and jumpstarting my career. And I’m not alone – their support extends to so many skaters and professionals in the industry. The Sole Tech alumni network is strong. I currently work for a fellow Sole Tech alumnus, some 20-odd years since we first met, thanks to Don and Pierre.
“In over 13 years there, I have collected many fond memories but two memories that will stay with me forever involve a pair of jail cells – one in Germany with Pierre and one in Tampa with Don. Despite the usual challenges, Don and Pierre show that business should be enjoyable. They remind us that competitors aren’t enemies; traditional corporate influence is the only true adversary.
“And their brands stand as testaments to the do-it-yourself ethos and rebelliously independent nature of boardsports and especially, skateboarding. I’m excited for this next chapter under new stewardship from a group that appears to share these principles and are ready to invest in the long-term health of these critical brands.”
Ryan Clements, co-owner of skate event company The Boardr and Excel Management, which manages the careers of professional skateboarders
“I remember going to the Sole Tech offices back in the early-mid 2000s. It was so impressive to me. They had historical timelines of projects, shoes, people – it was like a museum. I was blown away.”
“So many skaters worked there. From the top to bottom, it was skaters. Maybe not in accounting, but the rest of the employees – they were one of us.
“At that point I was really into Emerica. Everything they did was so impactful. They had the best skaters, the pros’ favorite pros. Of course Andrew Reynolds and Heath Kirchart come to mind.
Ryan Clements and Rob Meronek of The Boardr. SES file photo.
“Andrew and Heath filmed the best parts that were included in the best videos. The people that worked within the company had their finger on the pulse. This was before Nike SB came in with force. Adidas wasn’t doing much in the U.S. yet. And New Balance Numeric was probably not even an idea at this point.
“Things changed significantly with Nike SB’s push into skateboarding, but I do think that the first big footwear paychecks were from Sole Tech. I remember hearing rumors about what Ryan Sheckler made riding for etnies. And then I recall hearing what Nyjah Huston made riding for éS as an amateur and it blew my mind. Years later, Andrew Reynolds told me what they were getting paid at the time. Looking back, Sole Tech did everything they could to take care of the skaters.
“As far as events they hosted and created, Goofy versus Regular was amazing. That was an etnies activation. They would fly Rob Meronek (Ryan’s coworker at Skatepark of Tampa at the time and current partner in The Boardr) and me out to it and put us up. That alone just blew me away. Back then, we were still broke as hell, just trying to figure out what we were doing at SPoT back then. I couldn’t believe Sole Tech was willing to pay for our travel to be there just to write a web article.
“If you go back to the éS Menikmati video, it was ground-breaking. The production of it was a cut above anything else out there. They scored their own music from what I recall. Not sure what other group had done that at that point. That was a lot easier than licensing music. Was anyone legitimately licensing back then? I think we were all just stealing music rights.
“I keep going back to Emerica because that was the brand that spoke to me personally the most. My favorite activation that they did was called the Wild Ride. It was a motorcycle trip/tour across the country with the entire team, and anyone could meet up and join the tour. I met up with them in the Carolinas and tagged along for a few days. We skated and camped and the team had demos lined up at different skateparks.
“This is all way before our company Excel Management started managing skaters. Rob and I were working at Skatepark of Tampa throughout everything listed above. To this day we have great relationships with everyone that’s at Sole Tech, and still work with a lot of those that worked there during the company’s reign.”
Joseph Yoo, owner of Amateur Athlete store in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, which has carried the Sole Tech brands from the beginning
“I have carried the brands since nearly the beginning of time. All the brands went through a period of being on top….There was even a time when they were all popular at the same time. We would order so many shoes, the guys working here hated to see the truck pull up because there’d be so many shoes to unpack.
“I used to go to California to Sole Tech’s offices and see their STI Lab where they tested how the shoes dealt with impact, and everything a skateboard shoe has to deal with. They made really good, technical skateboard shoes, that’s one reason I stayed with them. Pierre and Don knew there was technical stuff to it, you can’t just put a swoosh on everything.
“Today, we still have a really dedicated group of customers that wear éS, not as much with etnies and Emerica. But there is an older group of middle-aged guys who’ve been with those brands from the beginning and they are still really loyal to them. The reissued styles that they have been putting out lately have been doing well, I hope they keep doing that.”
