Supra Footwear
Supra Footwear
Supra is a shoe brand founded by Angel Cabada, the partnership was established with professional skateboarders such as Chad Muska and Erik Ellington. The Supra Company was an “underground idea”, created between five people, which had a “crazy explosion”. Supra the brand has released signature shoe models from team riders, such as Muska, Ellington, Jim Greco, Tom Penny, and Stevie Williams.
In October of 2014, the brand was distributed by One Distribution, a parent company of the KR3W clothing brand.
Supra launched in 2006, the brand released their 260-page coffee table book in December 2012. The book documents Supra’s company history since inception. In an interview for the book’s promotional release, Ellington stated “It’s amazing to see something be so successful that easily could’ve gone the other way. I feel blessed, honoured and I’m humbled. It’s something I’m really proud to be a part of.”
In addition to serving as a catalogue of Supra’s products, the book also featured Supra’s team riders collaborations, including those with artists such as Jay-Z.
January 31, 2013, a promotional video for Greco’s second signature shoe, “The Hammer”, was released on the Internet; Greco’s first signature model was named “The Soprano”. Greco explained, in relation to the “Hammer”, ““I wanted to make a super simple looking shoe. There are a million shoes out there that are simple, but I really wanted that fusion of vulcanized and cup sole because I like the feel of the vulc, but I like the impact absorbing features of the cup sole.” and the shoe’s design was promoted as “a high performance, lightweight, low top skate shoe. The upper has a short eye stay, a long vamp, and minimal branding.”
As of October 17, 2014, Supra owns five flagship stores worldwide: the locations are Paris, France; Mexico City, Mexico; New York City, U.S.; Santa Monica, U.S.; and Tokyo, Japan. The stores sell footwear for women, men, and children.
In June 1, 2015 K-Swiss acquires the company.
Collaborations
A collaboration occurred between producer and DJ Steve Aoki and Supra for Muska’s “Skytop II” signature model shoe. Two colorways of the model appear on the Internet — one that is completely black and the other, entitled the “Remix”, with a material consisting of a checkerboard design that overlays an otherwise tonal blue design and crocodile-like texture base.
Williams released a collaboration with hip-hop artist and entrepreneur, Lil Wayne, in December 2012, whereby the latter designed a colorway for Williams’ signature shoe model, the “S1W” — the project was promoted as a “synthesis of skateboarding and hip hop”.
