#337 - Don Brown

Don Brown discusses being at Sole Tech for 33 years, Pierre-André started Etnies in the late 1980s, Sole Tech helped make the first DC Shoes, Nike's strategic plan to take over the skate shoe market, the Sole Tech sale to The Nidecker group, companies now a days have F.O.G.O.B. fear of going out of business, being diagnosed with prostate cancer, getting sober and much more! Timestamps 00:00:00 Don Brown 00:01:22 intro 00:02:30 Been at Sole Tech for 33 years. Recently sold to Nidecker Group 00:06:35 Skating blowing up in the 1980s 00:07:08 Seeing the 10-year cycle 00:09:52 Pierre-André started Etnies in the late 1980s 00:14:38 All the core skate shoe brands were friends in the mid-90s 00:16:42 Sole Tech helped make the first DC Shoes 00:22:43 Olympics is a big money grab - 35 commercials during finals 00:25:54 Do skaters even know about skater-owned things anymore? 00:32:16 Nike's strategic plan to take over the skate shoe market 00:40:05 Opening up Zumiez & PacSun 00:41:58 Nike came into surfing, then pulled out and screwed the whole industry 00:50:50 Brands keeping up with trends 00:55:31 Why they created Sheep Shoes 00:57:29 Vegan shoes most searched thing on their websites 01:05:15 Nidecker sale 01:18:55 F.O.G.O.B. - fear of going out of business 01:21:30 How's Pierre-André doing after the sale? 01:25:55 Diagnosed with prostate cancer 01:33:08 Withdrawals from tough guy shots Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices