Disregarding one’s opinion on the perceived legitimacy of any non-skater-owned brands entering into the marketplace, Thomas’ decision to take part in the launch could be viewed as a testament to his business savvy. Based on the various mutterings slowly leaking out of the skateboarding rumour mill, NB are aiming to launch the brand with a view towards gaining a portion of the market associated with an aspect of skateboarding culture that has both been neglected by Thomas’ previous ventures into the footwear market and coveted by the group of skateboarders perhaps the most cynical and eager to bitch about corporate involvements: technical East Coast skating.
The first step to cornering this market is already well underway with the supposed signing of flip-in flip-out East Coast godhead P.J. Ladd who was recently instagrammed wearing what appears to be our first glimpse of the upcoming New Balance skate line. The power Ladd has over New York/Boston/Chicago/anywhere-our-side-of-the-Midwest-dwelling, probably slightly overweight hip-hop obsessives really can’t be overstated and he has managed to maintain his clout ever since he first appeared in the game-changing P.J. Ladd’s Wonderful Horrible Life through a strict adherence to the quality-over-quantity understanding of what is expected from a professional skateboarder.
This leaves the eventual launch of New Balance’s skate line poised to be fascinating. Can the inconceivable force of skateboarding fanboydom really overcome the immovable object of cynicism and mistrust of big corporate involvement? Only time will tell. But one has to suspect that in the future Jamie Thomas’ decision to partner with, rather than kick agains,t a big outsider athletics company eager to get a slice of the skateboarding pie will be a considered a defining moment in the evolution of the industry in the coming years.
Best case scenario though we all get to enjoy new P.J. Ladd footage, a bunch of the skateboarders left shoe-sponsor-less since the dissolution of És and Gravis secure themselves a new paycheque and maybe, just maybe there’ll be a skateable version of these on the market. And who could complain about that?
