Archive for January, 2009

Not strictly a skate shoe, but we thought we’d cover this one anyway…Nike 6.0 goes fully vulcanized on the Drifter, pictured below:

Calling itself “inspired by skateboarding”, the Drifter has a rubber sole matched with a simple suede upper. As far as we know this is Nike’s first fully vulcanized shoe. Can’t say we didn’t see this one coming. Look for it in stores later this year. Check out Vagant for more pics.

Skate shoe or hip-hop sneaker? You decide…

Time to ring in the Lunar New Year with the latest not-so-scientific Industry Buzz Stats. The big news for the start of 2009 is that we began tracking éS, and they make their debut at a very respectable #3. Adio also jumps up to the #4 spot, possibly on the strength of their Spring line-up and lots of Shaun White coverage. Other than that, not much change from 2008 with Nike SB still holding a sizable lead and everyone else jockeying for the rest of the slots. Enjoy!

January 2009

• Nike SB (1.0)
• DC Shoes (.80)
• Es (.82)
• Adio (.55)
• Vans Shoes (.54)
• Etnies (.52)
• DVS (.51)
• Emerica (.24)
• Lakai (.21)
• Supra Shoes (.15)
• Ipath (.09)
• Globe Shoes (.10)
• Osiris Shoes (.08)
• Circa Shoes (.05)
• Fallen Footwear (.01)

Transworld Biz is reporting on a rumor that Quicksilver might be selling DC Shoes to conglomerate VFC (owner of Vans, Reef, The North Face, etc.). According to the article:

Citi group reiterated a buy recommendation on Quiksilver (ZQK) saying “VFC may be close to acquiring skate brand DC Shoes from Quiksilver (NYSE: ZQK), according to WWD reports on Friday. We think this could be a positive acquisition for four reasons: 1). The brand fits well within VFC’s newly created Action Sports Americas coalition, and we think there are opptys to create synergies w/ its Vans & Reef brands; 2). VFC will leverage its global sourcing and distribution to further grow the brand like previous acquisitions; 3). VFC is likely to get an attractive price as a result of market valuations and ZQK’s balance sheet, and; 4). We think the deal would be slightly accretive, w/out impacting VFC’s dividend or our est. of ~$200M in repurchases for FY09.”

“Short-Term Potential Positive for ZQK, But Long-Term Impact Uncertain — The possible cash infusion for ZQK is important as the company needs to refinance its short-term debt, including $167 million which is uncommitted, and a $72 million facility due to mature in March 2009. However, with the possible sale of DC, we think Quiksilver could be losing its growth crown jewel.”

Our opinion on this one is pretty simple. Quicksilver is clearly hurting and desperate times call for desperate measures. Selling what is arguably the crown jewel of their current business isn’t an easy decision, but they might not have much choice if they want to survive. A weak market combined with the disastrous 2005 purchase of ski maker Rossignol have weighed heavily on Quicksilver. On the other hand, VFC is a well managed company with a decent cash position. At today’s prices they can’t afford to sit on the sidelines, so when a skate industry staple like DC comes on the market, you can be sure they’ll be in the hunt.

The other half of this story is a bit more vague, but slightly more juicy. According to the OCBJ, there’s a rumor that Quicksilver already turned down an offer from Nike for all or part of DC Shoes. Personally, I’m not really buying this one. Maybe a few years ago, but not today. Why would Nike feel the need to purchase DC? They already have (albiet after a few attempts) a high-performing skate unit (Nike SB) plus a successful presence in action sports (Nike 6.0). Therefore, unlike the Hurley acquisition of a few years back, buying DC doesn’t get them anything new.

On the other hand, one could argue that the Converse acquisition in 2003 didn’t get them anything new either. What it did get Nike however was another unmistakable brand, so maybe that’s what they were looking for by going after DC…

Antwuan Dixon’s first pro-model just showed up on Supra’s blog.

Details are scarce, but with what looks like a gum sole and more traditional upper, the Dixon seems to be a bit of a departure from most of styles in the current Supra line-up. We hear the shoe should be in stores late this Spring, hopefully with more colorways to boot.

Cali Skate has a nice article up the profiles some of the recent Adidas Skateboarding releases. Those familiar with the Adidas line-up will instantly recognize the Gazelle Skate and the Superstar Skate Busenitz:

It seems like Adidas is taking a similar approach to Nike, repackaging old staples like the Gazelle and Superstar as skate shoes. While this has proven successful for Nike SB, we don’t hear much about the success of these Adidas Skateboarding offerings. Like what you see? Leave a comment and let everyone know what you think.