DZR: Urban Bike Shoes from the Bay
DZR Shoes: urban bike shoes project born in San Francisco. A few words with Fabio, the founder
I swear, just a few words. Really, I won’t barely bother you in telling the whole story of my christmas vacation between San Diego and San Francisco. But, please, at least let me tell you something about Fabio and his dope project. Back to the beginning: I was in San Francisco during the first days of 2014, walking through café, districts, clubs and boardwalks, recognizing how clearly is the bike culture grounded into the city. Almost everybody is commuting by bike every given day, ’cause who is using the car is considered as a pure looser, as I was when I was riding my bike in Italy with red waterproof jacket and clipless shoes. I was really surprised about this spirit so I decide to dig into the cycling Frisco. There was a lot of shaking hands, especially in the Mission District were a lot bicycle authorities are spinning their ankles: so first was chatting with Lyle from Mission Workshop, then drinking beers with my Mojo Bicycle Café buddies and knocking on the closed door of Mission Bicycle. This was a part of my adventure, another one was trying to catch Fabio Rattazzi, founder of DZR Shoes. Impossible, really the both of us were too busy to meet but still not that busy to have at least a phone talk.
Great Stefano, are you thrilled to be in the Bay?
Pure excitement Fabio. Really. But I don’t want to contaminate that talk with my shaking voice, so I will let you talk more. So, from the beginning: where are you come from, Fabio?
Ivrea. You know, that city famous for his carnival with oranges war.
And what were you doing there?
Riding my bicycles, obvious. I have been part Trial Cycling Italian National Team for about 10 years. First was Trialsin bikes (the ones with the 20 inches wheels) and then 26 inches MTB.
But is Bike Trial that sport where you have to climb weird obstacles riding a no saddle bike?
Well, yes. Let’s say so.
Ok. You were talking about your career as professional cyclist.
Yep. Twenty years as Mountain Bikers when I won a couple of good races: I was Italian champion, and I was in the top ten for this category, riding also in the French League (VTT).
Well a very experienced MTB rider.
I consider myself a cycling dinosaur.
Because you are too slow?
No, because of the long period I have been into the scene. I still remember my first race, and it was without cleats on my shoes.
Wait wait. It’s still early to talk about shoes. Let’s talk about the years at Uni.
True. Between rides and bruises I got my Master Degree in Architecture. And then I moved to Switzerland.
Switzerland?
Yeah, exactly. I was Product Manager for an important Bicycle Brand.
Which one?
Sorry mate, that’s off the records.
Ok. Let’s carry on. After riding bicycles you started working for bicycles.
In Swiss I met Shane (colleagues first of all, then business partner). She was Product Designer for the same company but she had also a side project: clipless compatible sneakers. Comfortable, fashion, sporty shoes, but with cleats.Well, at a certain point we decided to start our own company making this side project our principal activity.
So you didn’t receive any help from the company you were working for?
Well, we needed a certain reactivity to crush into the market. We planned to be fast and agile. We had to be a 26’’ bike, not a 29’’. So our company could not help us. You know what I mean?
More or less.
To kick off such a revolutionary product you need to plan and produce as fast as you can. Because, if this process would take too much time, big companies could see the big deal and destroy your market.
So you moved fast enough to be the first one. But now?
We were the first yes, even if now a lot of companies are producing clipless sneakers, even here in the Bay.
But how DZR shoes are so special?
Well, our shoes combine stiffness and comfort, so they are the perfect tool to ride through the traffic and walk into bars. To get where we are now, we create the patent of the VFS (Variable Flex Shank), the instrument that permits everybody to walk with flexibility and ride with power. Then, to produce it in a larger scale, we found the best manufacturer and taught them our idea. Now that our product is perfect, the competitors are starting reproducing the same concept.
What are bike messengers thinking about your technology?
Well, I’m not completely sure they are the best customers for us. They are real monsters riding and sprinting for about 100 miles a day. No, they prefer to push carbon soles more than spin on sneakers. But, at the end, there is an exception: Craig Etheridge, CMWC winner in 2010 and 2012, uses our shoes: that’s the best advertising for DZR.
Impressive. But are you also known outside the US?
Well, a bit. For now our sales are divided in: 70% North America, 10% Europe and 20% Rest of the World. For example in Japan we are fucking rock and rolling.
But that’s not only Urban Cycling.
Well, I come from MTB, Stefano. How can you keep me outside of this world? Our Global Development Team is now working together with Enduro and Downhill professional riders, and our first prototypes are on MTB champions. And we are doing the same with Bike Polo top teams.
Some bike tourists?
Look at our Fb page: full of long distance cyclist who rides for thousands miles wearing DZR. Two examples: a French couple who cycled to China passing through 17 countries, a Japanese lady who rode for 5.000 kilometers from Berlin to Portugal while she was selling coffee prepared on her bike. People are just sick of their 9am-5pm job between cars and screens, Stefano, then they prefer to use their bicycles to dream and escape. And we are here, ready to help them.
Cool. It’s time to talk properly about bicycles Fabio. How many of those do you have?
I cannot tell you, it’s embarrassing. Really. In my garage you can find: Enduros, Cruisers, Track Bikes, Race Bikes, Downhills, 28’’, 650B and also the one of my last race, but just as a museum piece.
And how many kms a day?
Not as much as I want to. For my commuting I take a train after a 5 minutes ride. Then from the 4th and King Street Station to the office I ride for 10 minutes more. Yeah, sometimes I’m forced to miss my train back.
What about DZR team? Are you all cycling?
Yep. If you want to be part of the family you have to ride a bike and be able to compete once a week in our lunch ride. Because if you lose you have to pay everybody a drink.
So, commuting. Only commuting, and that’s it?
No way. Two rides a week, but more MTB than race bike. And during in the weekend I ride outside of the city. Now in winter, for example, it’s time for crossing the hood, watching out Mountain Lions.
Winter? Do you ride also in winter?
California Bro.
Damn’ it. Back to commuting: differences between riding in Italy, Swiss and California.
Italy: be careful and eyes of the tiger. Swiss: comfortable as on your sofa. California: you are part of the traffic. But even better than California is Portland: there you are king.
How is it possible that all the coolest bike apparel brands are based in Mission?
Urban cycling was born here. Maybe there is something more underground in the States, maybe LA or Chicago, but the Bay is definitely the place to be.
What shoes did you use before start producing your own ones?
I started with Alpinestar and RG, specific for trial. Then Vans, still with me riding flat pedals. And also Shimano, Specialized, Pearl Izumi, Scott. I tried everything, Stefano.
I see. Last curiosity: how many Zurich did you sell?
All of them. You should be able to ride also with boots if you want.
***Postscript. I wrote this article on early 2014, but something happened some weeks later.
31.03.2014: This morning I opened my eyes and, like a real social addicted, I did what I’m used to do every given morning: still from bed I threw my hand on the bedside searching for my phone. Some emails, some news, then Facebook. There I saw something unusual, a lot of messages on Fabio’s wall, but not the classic ones after a special ride or magazine clipping, it was something different. I understood that Fabio passed away. I don’t know what happened, I didn’t know him deeply enough, we just had an email exchange and some phone calls. It was enough to realize how powerful and active Fabio was and find out how that news made me really sad. I would like to hug Fabio’s family still now, hoping they will stay strong even after this huge lost.
