To celebrate the 40th anniversary of sneaker brand LA Gear, we chat with the company’s creative director Dave “DaveO” Osokow and head designer Justin Gargasz…
In the pantheon of sneaker brands, ’80s powerhouse LA Gear was a commercial meteor which came in fast and hot but seemed to evaporate just as the industry went truly global. Created by footwear entrepreneur Robert Greenberg in 1979, LA Gear grew rapidly in the ’80s thanks to its colourful high-tops and bright SoCal aesthetic. At one point, LA Gear was matched only by Nike and Reebok in sales during the height of the so-called sneaker wars. Alongside Nike’s Jordan 1 and Reebok’s Freestyle, the LA Gear Catapult became one of the most popular sneakers of the era, partly thanks to an endorsement by reigning NBA star Karl Malone.
Fascination with this period in sneaker history has spiked following the release of the recent Amazon film Air, which charts Nike’s risky decision to sign Michael Jordan and create the most successful sneaker line in history. What is not covered in the film is LA Gear’s own contribution to sneaker lore. In 1990, the company paid Michael Jackson an unprecedented $20 million to become their new ambassador and even created a “Billie Jean” high top to take on Nike’s Jordan 1 line. Although hiring musicians to promote sneakers is the backbone of the industry today, back then the landmark deal with Jackson was unheard of.
Infamously, the Billie Jean shoe languished on shelves and LA Gear soon entered a wilderness period that culminated in the company filing for bankruptcy in 1998. Fast forward almost 20 five years to the present, and the appetite for ’80s and ’90s-inspired footwear and clothing has reached fever pitch. Perhaps a little miffed by seeing their old rivals cashing in on this sneaker nostalgia, LA Gear is finally getting off the bench and back into the game. The company’s current lead designer Justin Gargarsz has been hard at work reworking and reissuing LA Gear’s most beloved styles for a new generation.
We’ve been really focused on the archives,” he tells MAXIM. “We want it to be recognisable that it’s a vintage vibe but then we want to update the detailing and the materials.” Trained in industrial design, Gargasz interned at Nike and later worked for Reebok before taking on the role as head of design at LA Gear. He looks to the company’s Los Angeles roots for inspiration, particularly around the Melrose and La Brea neighbourhoods that serve as the spiritual home for the brand. “That’s where the original LA Gear started and people look to that area for what’s next,” he adds.
Joining Gargasz for LA Gear’s second act is the brand’s colourful new creative director Dave Osokow. “I’ve always been a little bit of a sneakerhead and appreciated and respected the art of it,” Osokow says. “I wear my LA Gears almost every day. I was a big Jordan guy but I can’t even remember the last time I busted them out. Osokow believes the key to reviving the brand lies in creating sneakers that have an “added element”. He points to the brand’s LA Lights sneaker, which has major nostalgia appeal among older sneakerheads who remember the light-up shoes from childhood.
The new Lights have been reimagined for the digital age and now include a handy USB charging cable. “I was at the Fast 10 premiere in Rome and I’d turn on my LA Gears and the reaction I’d get from everyone was awesome,” Osokow shares. It is shoes like the LA Lights which Dave hopes will allow LA Gear to capture the zeitgeist once again. At the very least, the light-up sneakers are a great conversation starter at parties. “When people see them there’s always a double take and they say, ‘Oh my god I remember those! It’s a really cool feeling when that happens and it’s an instant bond.”
When he’s not wearing Lights, Osokow prefers the classic Catapult. “There’s a long history with the Catapult and I remember having the Catapults as a young child,” he recalls. Among the company’s newest models, Osokow raves about the Boardwalk low-top sneaker, which features a rechargeable LED-powered tongue. “I’m such a big fan of the Boardwalk, you can customise that shoe and it’s kind of a blank canvas,” he says.
As a self-described sneakerhead, Osokow understands how much the sneaker tribe appreciates the small details. He was insistent the new LA Gear sneakers retain the retro details the original shoes had, right down to the packaging and the collectible licence plate keychain. A quintessentially West Coast brand, the LA Gear keychain is a miniature version of a California car licence plate. “It’s a knock off of the California licence plate,” Osokow clarified. “We have different licence plates for different states and the California one is always the sun.”
Although there are 50 unique licence plate designs to represent each of the 50 states, Osokow believes that the California licence plate holds a singular place in the American psyche. “Most people don’t know the colours of most licence plates but for whatever reason the California licence plate is something different parts of the country know,” he says.
On the other side of the Pacific Ocean, Australia has become one of the first international markets to embrace the new and improved LA Gear. Last year, budget retailer Big W became the exclusive retailer of LA Gear in Australia, marking a new chapter for the brand down under. The Australia-only line currently includes activewear, apparel as well as sneakers and has served as a litmus test of sorts for where the larger brand may go next. Osokow says he has been watching the numbers for the Big W venture with great enthusiasm. “We get reports and we hear about what’s going on in Australia,” he says.
The day before our chat, LA Gear commissioned a big campaign to show off the new styles shot by photographer Mike Azria. Osokow is a big picture kind of guy and hopes to shepherd LA Gear beyond merely a nostalgia project and back into the big leagues. He is already talking about adding more apparel into the brand’s offering and has an idea for a denim line. Gargasz is similarly optimistic about the company’s future and thinks the public fascination with retro sneakers is evergreen. “I do think there are always new interpretations and new details to add to these iconic styles,” he says. “The heritage of LA Gear – the ’80s and ’90s – that look and feel will always be a classic look.” T
By Reilly Sullivan
Photographed by Mike Azria
Stylist Angela Solouki
Talent Lyliana Wray & Alex Whitehouse
For more info check out: lagear.com.au
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