Skate & The Strategy
ARTICLE OVERVIEW:
As a category, the audience feels we’re getting a lot right in skate.
Awareness exists around the work we’ve done at a grassroots level as well as in-house.
The culture of skate naturally echoes and reflects the key traits of Originality.
However, the inclusion of skate within the Olympics negates these traits of the culture.
For the audience, it’s a fine line between skate being a sport and skate being a subculture.
Ensuring we foster rather than finance from the culture is imperative.
Strategically, connecting to the Originals of Culture is imperative.
Using our power to make a difference to involve, uplift and inspire will help foster the culture.
To invest and grow the culture, we have to make a commitment as a brand.
Ensuring we are always appropriate and never appropriating is a key element of our work.
“"Fucking up? I can't think of a time adidas have fucked up in the culture."
Whomever we speak to in the culture, one thing is clear; as a category, they feel we’re doing a lot of things right; from whom we hire in-house to the skaters we’ve aligned ourselves to the brands we’ve collaborated with [we’re talking Palace, here] and the fact that, for the most part, we’ve played it all pretty low key. As skater, brand owner and ‘all round good guy’ Steffen in Berlin puts it: “For me personally, I see Nike more as the bad boy in the skate scene, with a bad attitude, but with adidas, I see adidas as a bit more positive, open and friendly.” For the key protagonists in the culture globally, the fact that we’ve bought influence and inspiration in-house is admirable.
“"adidas have been hiring a lot of skateboarders to be a part of their skateboarding team. A friend of mine retired as a pro skateboarder and became their marketing manager. Paul Shier from the UK - who I looked up to when I was growing up - works there. They’re hiring from within the skateboard industry, which means that their videos, content and the way they do things feels way more authentic than how Nike or Reebok does it. I appreciate how slowly and quietly they’ve come in."
“"I think that people who are in positions of influence are, for the most part, people who have grown up through it. And even if it's people working for big brands, such as adidas, I’m confident that these people are taking it in the right direction; Paul Shier for example, and his influence within adidas’ skate scene."
Awareness too, exists around the work we’ve done at a grassroots level, whether it was the speed at which we set up our Palace partnership or our acknowledgement of key skaters in the scene, most recently with the Tyshawn Jones shoe, a skater who taps into key Gen Z traits that they admire as a generation and who also provides a version of themselves reflected. As New York skater and YouTuber ‘Stoops’ explains: “Tyshawn Jones is the biggest inspiration to anybody from the Bronx or the inner city. He came from nothing and has become so big. The fact adidas recognised that and did a shoe with him is huge.” Naturally, our partnerships with Mark Gonzales and Nora Vasconcellos are also applauded by the culture.
“"I think the Tyshawn shoe was very much a shoe that really resonated with me compared to a lot of others; design-wise, skateboarder-wise and the fact that it was a departure from just reappropriating existing designs. This shoe definitely has a loyal customer base. Oh, and message to adidas: keep looking after Mark Gonzales and Nora Vasconcellos, that shit is sick."
“"adidas support the true athletes - they have Tyshawn in skating. It’s only the best of the best. Tyshawn is an athlete, the same as a basketball player. It makes sense that he’s with adidas."
As a culture, skate very much taps into the traits and behaviours that we understand to be inherent within the idea of Originality. Whether it’s about being brave, spirited or disruptive - these are all common facets of the culture, a culture that is inherently rebellious, creative and unapologetically punk in its making.
As Vans rider Alexey in Moscow sees it: “I think skate is like punk-rock; it’s a protest. When I talk about protest in the context of art, I mean protest against dullness, foolishness and against an ordinary life. Skateboarding uses protest as a call to people to be themselves and do what they want.”
This idea of ‘being oneself’, entrenched within the culture, is another form of Originality we can understand. As a skater, your personal Originality is every trick you did or didn’t land, every skater you’ve ever skated with, every place you’ve been or seen.
"In skateboarding, everybody appreciates everybody else’s take on it. You're inspired by each other's take on the same thing, and you respect it and learn from each other, that’s what builds originality. Everybody involved within skate is creative to some extent, and it will never die, there’s always a place for all of it."
Jacob, London, Skate
“"I think skate culture has a spirit of resistance. I think there is a spirit of resistance to society, education, myself or family, this is what skateboarding is."
Naturally, with the arrival of Skate within the Olympics this year, feelings are mixed within the scene as to the repercussions it might have on the culture. For a select few, they welcome the global attention of the sport, feeling that its inclusion will bring more respect to a sport often sidelined and looked down upon by the general public. For others, they are more neutral, seeing both the pros and cons of its place within the Olympics. For the majority, however, it feels like a commercial venture that isn’t welcome, one that could empty the scene of meaning and matter as well as detracting from its rebellious, punk core. For the Originals of Culture, however, they feel the onus is on them and that it’s their responsibility to keep the culture alive.
"I know of people not happy with the Olympics and skate happening. But the culture itself is going to be the culture itself, you know, and it has the mission to protect itself, to keep itself as a culture. In a way, and we have to recognise this, it will give more respect to the sport."
Andrea, LA, Skate
"There’s a lot of debate about skating being in the Olympics and going mainstream. I don’t want to see skating go completely mainstream, because it’s a counter-culture. On the other hand, I’m happy for the Olympians because it elevates skateboarding and brings more resources to our community."
Adam, NYC, Creative Entrepreneur
"There's so many avenues now in skateboarding. Even with the Olympics, that kind of throws it all into a whole other sphere of how it's perceived. It’s exciting that skateboarding is now in everybody’s consciousness, to some extent. I get people coming up to me now talking about skateboarding in the Olympics who would otherwise have no interest in it."
Jacob, London, Skate
"Skate culture is in a transition period at the moment - it’s moving from subculture to public culture. Once skating makes its Olympic debut in Tokyo, social awareness of it will increase. I was regarded as a juvenile delinquent when I first skateboarded back in the '90s, but it’s enjoyed as a pastime and sport now."
Yang Soo, Seoul, Skate
"I value independence, originality and those who challenge the status quo. The spirit of protest and skate’s underground nature is at risk of being lost right now."
Alexey, Moscow, Skate
"Something that’s getting lost in skate culture is the feeling of street, the sense of street. Maybe, that’s due to the Olympic Games. It’s hard to say whether that is right or wrong, it is just a lack of wildness."
Fan Xing, Beijing, Skate
For many figureheads and skaters in the community, it’s the fine line between skating being a sport and skating being a subculture that is being crossed within the context of the Olympics. Naturally, as it enters this very public arena, the sports side is amped up, placing emphasis on performing well and competing against each other. Noticeably, these outputs are incongruent to the culture itself; they see themselves as community and attitude-based first and performance led second [if at all]. As skate and barbershop owner Yuya, in Tokyo, tells us,“I find it superficial that people started focusing on the skills rather than the creative and cultural aspect of skateboarding. I am afraid that focusing on skills kills the virtue of the culture.” For adidas, this is a lesson in what happens when a scene is commercialised, something we have always stepped around with respect. Ensuring we do what we can to continue to foster the culture rather than finance from it, is imperative.
"I mean the total circle of skateboarding is divided more clearly. One is to take the sports route, and the other is to take the style route or to focus on the culture. It is obvious that some people have become two forces now. For example, those who take the Olympic road are in-system. And the other one we are talking about is dedicated to the promotion of the cultural part. To me, that’s the real investment."
Jeff Han, Shanghai, Skate
So what does this cultural investment look like for us? Perhaps unsurprisingly, the main insight is again around the importance of involving the Originals of Culture from inside the scene; the most dominant insight across the research [whatever realm we’re talking about]. For the culture of skate, this same mandate applies. Yes, we have historically hired from the scene, but getting even more fine-tuned within that is increasingly important. Having those people in the parks, who are personally in touch with the audience [whether skating with them, selling to them, or sharing stories with them] is critical. As OG skater Maysam in Dubai succinctly puts it, “Brands can’t do shit in their communities without involving others. It takes them to hire someone from that community to make that happen.”
“"Give the power to people that are already there, seeing the evolution every day - not only for their skating skills, but their social skills and the influence they have on their community."
“"adidas need to make sure they’re hiring the right people in skate. Even Supreme, which is heading in a more corporate direction, still have the kids in Tompkins looking up to the employees in the store. That's everything. It’s so important to hire the right people and give them a proper support system."
Finding the right people is also about finding the right ambassadors, again returning to the idea of working with people who inspire over influencers who are empty. For the key figures in the scene, this returns to the idea of ‘uplifting’ the community, recognising those that will benefit from our acknowledgement and support rather than chasing after the biggest and best skaters in the parks and on the street. Again, choosing this route is a form of social responsibility, a choice whereby we use our power to make a difference in terms of who we align ourselves to. Skater Marc from Paris puts it this way: “Let people realise that we have to highlight the little ones in skate. Stop distributing pairs of shoes to models so that they make an Instagram post, those people already have thousands of free gifts, it’s not making any difference for them. Instead, give them to people who cannot buy them. Pay people who are not stars.”
“"adidas can just support some stylish new people, grassroots, not stars. Probably, a flow-oriented sponsorship. I think it can start from training a new generation of young skaters. They can shift their energy from famous skateboarders to new young ones. One competition every year. They can organise a tour, even a documentary."
“"If the right people are involved with adidas and being elevated by them, then they’re doing something right and will be closer to the streets."
Uplifting the community, as the insights show, is inherently about using our platforms to make a difference, collaborating locally and ceding creativity to those that we work with. Knowing the importance of Occasions within our strategy, it is also about events; supporting and providing those Occasions whereby the community can come together in their own way to involve, uplift and inspire each other while also collecting those moments that contribute to Originality overall… Leaning back into the soul of adidas, putting on those events that contribute to the culture again, and reigniting culture in cities we may have fallen behind in. This all matters.
"It’s important to do research, and figure out who the right people are. Big brands need to give their community resources and listen to their ideas. adidas need to support the community, listen to their ideas and let them create shoes or t-shirts. They should give them platforms to create something special and feel part of something, belonging is always important."
Adam, New York, Creative Entrepreneur
"Using budget to create memories for kids coming up, and to put kids in contact with the people they have on the team is such an amazing thing to be able to do, and to do it right. adidas have to correctly immerse themselves in the community and give something back to it. That’s how you create an affinity and an association to a brand on a very visceral and personal level."
Jacob, London, Skate
"In the past, adidas have supported skating culture by throwing events and educational activities. We felt support and engagement, they need to be doing that again."
Alexey, Moscow, Skate
This idea of ‘leaning into the soul of adidas’ is echoed throughout the research and is something the respondents request. For instance, within skate, it’s inherently about story-telling, it’s about cherishing our iconic products and continuing to behave as an Original within the scene overall. As skater Marc in Paris sees it, “adidas needs to go back to what made adidas a success in the beginning, their old school image, success stories, and iconic products.”
"It’s important to do research, and figure out who the right people are. Big brands need to give their community resources and listen to their ideas. adidas need to support the community, listen to their ideas and let them create shoes or t-shirts. They should give them platforms to create something special and feel part of something, belonging is always important."
Adam, New York, Creative Entrepreneur
"Using budget to create memories for kids coming up, and to put kids in contact with the people they have on the team is such an amazing thing to be able to do, and to do it right. adidas have to correctly immerse themselves in the community and give something back to it. That’s how you create an affinity and an association to a brand on a very visceral and personal level."
Jacob, London, Skate
"What Nike is doing with the guys I think is great, the competitions that they sponsor, and what they did in Berlin with the DIY, what they did in Mexico with building skateparks and the community part of it, that’s the stuff adidas need to do that they’re not doing yet…"
Andrea, LA, Skate
Across everything, and again - tapping into one of the key brand commandments - this has to be about making a commitment. It has to be about investing in the culture, choosing to stand by its side and fostering the community within the scene. Too many brands want to buy into the cult of cool that skating has, and yet we’ve respectfully earned our place there. Maintaining that respect, so clearly seen within the category, is imperative. Making a commitment, to the people, the places and the players, is a form of respect that will always be acknowledged by the Originals of Culture and audience in the scene. Having earned our space and place within the culture, we now have to cultivate that. Again it’s about letting Nike be big so we can act small, evolving and doing brave things, quickly and always in a way that makes sense. As skate photographer, Andrea puts it, “A small thing makes a big difference. A small act can make a big impact. Little budgets to do little, local things. adidas should act small, they shouldn’t try and be Nike, the culture will respect that.”
“For adidas to protect the underground aspect of the skate scene, I don’t think it’s the best idea that they play too big a role. Skaters don’t tend to love when a brand becomes too commercial. adidas is already a famous brand, but when it comes to skating they should keep it low key.”
Yuya, Tokyo, Skate
“adidas let their actions speak versus trying to make a big show. I think that’s one of the reasons why so many skateboarders around the world are wearing their shoes, we like that.”
Maysam, Dubai, Skate
“adidas needs to continue their support of skate subculture. They cut it recently, and it was really upsetting. Continuity is important.”
Alexey, Moscow, Skate
“adidas have to put their money where their mouth is and support ground level revolution. If they choose the right people and give them a voice and a platform, and it's used for the greater good, then that's awesome. If that is really a thing they wanted to do, it would have to be a real kind of a line in the sand; they’d have to set the bar high for other people to follow.”
Jacob, London, Skate