Alon Karpman is on the cutting edge of the skate culture. He and his?Brooklyn Workshop?partners are the creative minds behind the award winning SkateCycle, and his passion for skating sparked an idea for his latest concept. Karpman wanted to produce a shoe that fit specific needs within the skating community, but remain stylish enough to be worn with a pair of jeans and t-shirt. From this brainstorming (and help from a major source), the?ELBY?skate shoe was produced. We caught up with the innovative mind behind such progressive products to find out exactly how the skate shoe made a transition from idea to reality, and why he believes he is on the verge of something special.
Brooklyn Workshop Elby outsole brandingNice Kicks: The skateboard community is tight knit but continues to grow. The lineup of shoes has gone from underground to mainstream, and has been infused with new technology. For you, what is the most important aspect of a skate shoe?
Alon Karpman: For the one that we developed, it’s what you don?t see. We have a sole that keeps the board feel, and it?s a vulcanized shoe so it?s soft. Yet, we?ve figured out a proprietary rubber compound that is still ?grippy? and abrasion resistant. The one thing I love about the shoe that we have is the sole. It grips, but it?s still abrasion resistant. When you make something harder, it usually is more slippery, but we got the compound. We nailed it. It sticks you on the board, and it?s going to last longer.
Nice Kicks: So, the durability is what sets your shoe apart?
Alon Karpman: Yes, the durability of the shoe; a vulcanized shoe that?s durable. If you look at the video, the guy falls off the board, but he?s sliding on the edge of his shoe for 15-20 feet. The shoe survives. You imagine doing that with another shoe, and the whole heel would fall apart. Vulcanized construction is almost like layers that are glued together. Here he is dragging it like an eraser at 20 miles per hour – 20 feet down the road – and this one lasted. We have a vulcanized shoe that?s abrasion resistant. That?s what sets us apart.
