Interview with Sung Choi of Clae Shoes
This is a interview with Sung Choi, who is the creator of Clae Shoes, which is up and coming in the shoe game!
So the first question on everyone’s mind is, where has CLAE been for the past few years, and what have you been up to?
due to incompatibility with the initial partners, i had put clae to sleep in late 2004, while waiting for the right situation to revive clae, I was designing for DC shoes and ecko unltd footwear.
What sparked the second coming?
the vision of clae was not fully realized and I wanted a chance to see it through under the right circumstances and I was lucky enough have met partners who shared the vision of Clae to bring it back to life.
During the first time when you guys hit the footwear scene, you once said that there was a “void” in the footwear market and you guys were trying to produce a quality casual shoe that you wanted to wear. With what seems like a rather saturated market this time around, what are your takes on what’s going on out there today, and what does CLAE bring to the table this time around?
our mission hasn’t changed at all, Clae will continue to bridge the gap between casual and athletic shoes by producing quality versatile footwear. giving our consumers a unique interpretation of modern footwear in terms of design, comfort and value
is clae’s foundation. and we’ll continue grow on the strength of our product.
as for the recent emergence of independent footwear brands is an indication that consumers are moving away from stale saturated retro market monopolized by the big athletic brands. With changing of media and retail landscape, all the Indies can grow and compete with the big shoe companies as long as they bring relevant product to the market and not a one trick pony.(no pun intended)
Substance, it seems like this has always been a very important facet behind CLAE. How do you qualitatively describe this key component of CLAE?
i think substance comes from having a unique concept with solid execution.
when these elements are aligned you can get an emotional response from your end user that can be described as having substance. i think as designers, we are always trying to achieve that moment of truth.
While on this topic, what other brands do you think are doing it right out there these days?
i’ve been a fan of Barbour jackets, Levi’s 501’s and Uniqlo t shirts
for their quality and value
in the recent times, i like woolrich woolen mills, unis and nom de guerre. they all work great with quality materials and smart cuts coupled with quality manufacturing. i just wish the price would be little more friendly.
What are your inspirations? What gets you excited?
A cup of tea, a pencil and a sketch pad early in the morning. Listening to Miles and Coltrane. Those things put me in the right space to create. As far as inspiration, it comes from the whole collective experience that life brings – reading books, watching films, listening to music, traveling, eating and all of the other great things that we humans enjoy doing. I think it’s probably along the same lines for many people in the creative field, but its how that info is internalized and what exactly you execute that separates you from the pack. We’re all pretty much looking at the past and present for inspiration and walking ahead for innovation.
yes i get excited about good times, music, book, film and food…not in that particular order
Obama or Hilary?
Obama, no question.
change is gonna come.
In the past, you guys were known for naming your shoes after prominent people in history, is this still the CLAE way? Who are some of the people behind the shoes in this line and why?
no matter how old you are you should have some one you can look up to. or in our case following in their footsteps or a homage
for spring 08 we dedicated Jacques Cousteau for his passion for discovery and his love for the sea. Romare Bearden for that rustic urban charm of his paintings and collages, Diego Rivera for capturing the vibrant energy of his peoples
and Walt Whitman for his new york state of mind.
From Tastemaker’s Society, you said that you were “baby steps” in order to “grow organically” with your retailers. As far as Canada goes, where can we expect to find some CLAE?
Livestock - Vancouver / Toronto
Eugene Choo - Vancouver
Royce - Vancouver
Group Seven - Calgary
Foosh - Edmonton
Momentum - Saskatoon
Norml - Ottawa
Off the Hook - Montreal
Three Monkeys - Montreal
Is there anyone out there you’d like to thank?
Matt and Jim, for sharing my vision.
The Original PNB crew, BPMW family.
our family and friends and retail partners for their support.
Sung Here’s a mini top 5!!!
TOP 5 with Sung:
Top 5 influences:
1.John Coltrane
2.Bruce Lee
3.Joseph Campbell
4.I.M. Pei
5.Tibor Kalman
Top 5 things about living in LA in the new millennium:
1.spending quality time with my wife and kids.
2.BBQ by the poolside on weekends with family and friends.
3.working in and around my house/backyard
4.discovering LA through friends that roll into town.
5.not having to drive to work/15 minutes to the beach
Top 5 things about living in NY in the 90’s:
1.grit and the vitality of multi culti pre-gentrified new york
2.PNB cook-offs. We used to battle friends in culinary skills way before the iron chefs
3.Stretch Armstrong Show with Bobbito on WKCR 89tec9
4 Power House, Deep, Hotel Amazon, save the robots, love transporter room.
Sheets and Pillows, Mars, red zone, the world, pay day, nells, MKs, 2eyes, sticky
mikes, and soul kitchen had you dancing til dawn.
5. Jazzmobile at riverside park/ central park summer stage/ lincoln center
swing under the moon (via Foosh)