CREW: Sole Technologies Headquarters - For almost 15 years now THIRTYTWO has been keeping those little toes and feet warm and comfy making some of the best boots in snowboarding. A little while back I had met up with the Marketing Manager Brian Cook to
CREW: Sole Technologies Headquarters by Joe Carter
For almost 15 years now THIRTYTWO has been keeping those little toes and feet warm and comfy making some of the best boots in snowboarding. A little while back I had met up with the Marketing Manager Brian Cook to get a little run down on what went down over at the Sole Tech headquarters in Lake Forest California. I will tell you this, if you thought that making snowboarding boots was easy you’d be wrong. These people over here have made it their lives to put in the work testing new ways to make gear better for all of us. The STI (Sole Technology Institute) is like a laboratory for boot and shoe scientists. There are even crazy machines they have rigged up to test everything you could imagine. Along with a brand new indoor park in the works for more “Testing” for the skate teams. Keep in mind that the etnies park a stones throw away is fucking huge. This season you will also start seeing some new THIRTYTWO outerwear on the hill as they launch that with has JP Walker, StianSolberg, and Joe Sexton rocking the gear. Keeping the focus more on the function other than fashion hype to keep you riding longer instead of thawing out in the lodge.
- A view of this seasons boots in the Thirtytwo showroom.
- All the brands have different themed showrooms. Here is Emerica.
- A gander at the Es showroom.
- Brian Cook right before he jumped on that dirtbike and did a mile long wheelie. Ok that’s not true, but that would be badass.
- Some of the warehouse that they keep all the old booths from tradeshows. Think about how many drinks were consumed in those things. A shitload.
- New training grounds for Malto, Taylor, and TV’s biggest pussy. Yeah I’m hating on Sheckler, but not his skating.
- Look at this crazy contraption. Kickflip machine testing the material on Mikey Taylor’s new shoe.
- Brian Cook showing us more inventions around they use to test EVERYTHING at the STI.
- There are a lot of snowboarding companies out there owned and operated by some corparate goon making bank off snowboarding. Sole Tech is owned by one person that started it out of the love for skateboarding, and snowboarding. Keeping the environment in mind with solar panels helping to power some of these buildings. You can’t say that for most companies out there.
- Being in this area also has it’s perks. Thanks Brian for showing us around.
