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I'd like to begin with your definition of "casual" footwear.
Gareth: First off I can’t speak for anyone else with this answer but I guess it would be a mixture of Dress shoes and Sports footwear. Kind of like a Tuxedo Tee Shirt, smart but casual. Or like a Mullet, business at the front, party at the back. No but really I would say it is a mix of dress shoes and sportswear, something in between. If we are talking about the 1980s casuals movement then that is a whole different ball game.
What are your influences in footwear, the styles or brands that have driven you or caught your eye over the years?
Gareth: Wow where to begin; there have been so many. I guess from about the age of 12 or maybe even younger I was obsessed with shoes. The real start I guess was football boots at 10 or 11. In Johannesburg you could not really buy many of the larger sports wear brands due to the political situation and I was obsessed with the Nike football boots Ian Rush played in, we are talking late 80's when Liverpool were just destroying everyone in their path.
Then I found skateboarding and that opened my eyes to a world of Airwalk 540's, Distorters, Enigmas and so on. Vision Streetwear, Vans Full Cabs and the list goes on. I had a pair of Desert Camo Chuck Taylor’s that the light strips of the camo glowed in the dark. 4 years on from that the 92 Olympics happened and I watched the USA "Dream Team" play I really fell in love with Nike Flights the early Jordan’s and so on. But at the same time still being obsessed with Matt Henley and I guess Doctor Martins and the list goes on.
So when late '93 rolls around I am now obsessed with the Vans Lampins, Half Cabs, Adidas Campus. Brit Pop starts to happen and I see Oasis rocking rocking Wallabies - I was in love and the first single was pretty good too. That kind of introduced me to something that was not Dr Martins and not Sportswear. So I guess referring to your first question that is what I would class "Casual" footwear.
Then things spiraled pretty quickly out of control as far as buying footwear went, mid 90's skate shoes, Air Force Ones, Clarks, Boat shoes (living in New Jersey and wearing Boat shoes in the mid 90's, not a good way to meet girls). I guess it really got a bit out of control.
Once I was back in the UK in 2000 I got really into dead stock running shoes, Vans Eras and Authentic and Nike Blazers but I was still obsessed. But was still obsessed with Clarks Originals and Padmore and Barnes. Then say 2004 just as I was leaving Silas I got really into Trickers and Churches, but was still obsessed with the Sportswear stuff. I guess a pretty odd combo but that was how it went.
I think the notion of simple often gets reduced to an idea that a product is low tech. What are some of the technical concerns that are important for you at Pointer?
That is often a common misconception. Comfort and quality is the foremost concern.
Your initial offers were quite plain, meaning in short basic in color options, the palate has recently expanded, what's the impetus there?
Gareth: Well you cant just make Black and Brown shoes. It was actually that simple, we have tried to do things a bit different
There are certain commonalities and differences in the footwear choices of "streetwear fans" across the globe. Where do you see Pointer fitting in as part of the market? Or really, from you experience what areas have most quickly grasped the concept?
Gareth: First off I don't really know if Pointer is Streetwear, really we are a design lead independent UK based shoe company. Yeah we do come from a skateboard and streetwear background. But I have no idea if that is what we are. I actually have no idea what streetwear is right now. If you were to ask a regular kid on the street in East London what he was into clothing and label wise and where he is spending his money. Nine out of ten times I am guessing it would be New Era Hats, Nike Tracksuit pants, Barbour Quilted Jackets and all black Fila trainers, moving into Stone I Stone Island/ CP Company and other high end labels. So not really what I guess certain people are calling "Streetwear" these days.
Pointer is being bought into by the people who are brave enough to try something different and more importantly who are looking for something a bit off the beaten track. People who started off buying certain well-known sportswear labels and then have come around to buying something new. I guess maybe the people who have worked out that it is now possible to buy footwear the same way you buy T-Shirts, you can now buy smaller less commercial based companies. But lets be honest with here, there is huge brand locality with Footwear brands and people changing usually come in pockets.
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