S H OE V A U L TS
just a quick reminder from frank hirata
ed templeton model a message from our corporate representative ed templeton mike manzoori modeling the sheep texel
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The latest installment in our Shoe Vaults series is focused on a short-lived, but muchloved brand. SHEEP launched in 1996 when Sole Technology – the father company of Etnies, Emerica and éS – decided to branch out with another brand after noticing that many mainstream companies were biting their shoe designs and offering them at a cheaper price-point. In response to this, Sole Tech chose to offer their own brand that would feature simple, basic designs at a lower price. As a way to keep costs down, it was decided that Sheep would utilize alternatives to suede and leather – something that was a new development at the time. However, the problem with this business model came when Sole Tech discovered that the importing costs of synthetic materials were actually higher than suede or leather, so the price-point strategy was abandoned. Sheep decided to maintain the focus on mostly synthetic materials, which turned out to be a good decision in the end. The brand ended up filling a niche market since there were virtually no shoe companies dedicated to producing vegan-friendly footwear. As such, Sheep became a desirable sponsor for the Pro skaters out there who didn’t want to wrap their feet in animal skin. Ed Templeton was the first to jump aboard, and he helped 94
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develop a strong team of notables such as Rick McCrank, Brian Anderson, and Matt Field. The team became an integral part of shaping the brand, and Sheep quickly took on a more artistic vibe than the other companies produced by Sole Tech. The identity and tone of Sheep can be seen in the hard-to-find Life Of Leisure video, which was produced by Sheep rider Mike Manzoori in 1996. Anyone who remembers the shoe market that existed in the latter half of the ’90s knows that “simple” and “basic” were not really words you would use to describe most of the designs out there. So to have a brand that concentrated on basic designs was a breath of fresh air. Stylistically, Sheep was definitely ahead of the curve with models like the “Merino”, which could be found in the simple and classic all-black with a white vulcanized sole – an old school aesthetic that was less common at the time. The shoes were well received by both unknown skaters out in the streets, as well as Pros who weren’t locked in with a shoe sponsor. In fact, viewers out there with a keen eye may have noticed Guy Mariano rocking Sheep heavily in Girl’s classic 1996 video Mouse, despite never being on the team or even being flowed any product by the company.
As we all know, good things don’t last. Despite Sheep’s popularity, Sole Tech decided that it didn’t have the resources to focus on four shoe companies. So by the end of 1998, less than two full years after its creation, Sheep was put out to pasture. However, even though the shoe company was short-lived, it left a big impact on skateboarding. Many people look back on the company very fondly, and the Life Of Leisure video is considered to be somewhat of a cult classic among skate nerds. Furthermore, the brand’s inclusion of vegan-friendly materials and ideologies later became more commonplace in the skate shoe industry. In this author’s humble opinion, Sheep had a strong influence on the feel and direction of IPATH footwear, which was created in part by Matt Field shortly after Sheep’s demise. In retrospect, perhaps the fact that the company didn’t last long helped solidify its place as a fond memory from skateboarding’s past. It came in and made an impact, then disappeared before its popularity waned, leaving people wanting more. When recently asked if the Sheep rebirth idea has ever been thrown around, Sole Tech Senior VP of Marketing Don Brown responded with: “Not officially, although I have an eerie feeling that one day Sheep will be back to happily cavort in the light of day.”
ads courtesy of sole technology // shoe images courtesy of ed templeton
Sheep Shoes