Lakai Limited Footwear
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| Industry | Skateboarding |
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| Founded | Torrance, California in 1999 |
| Headquarters | Torrance, California |
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Key people
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Rick Howard Mike Carroll |
| Website | www.lakai.com |
Lakai Footwear Limited is an American footwear company based in Torrance, California that creates shoes designed for and inspired by skateboarding. Lakai was founded by professional skateboarders and Girl Skateboards co-founders Mike Carroll and Rick Howard in 1999. Lakai Limited Footwear is part of the Crailtap Distribution along with companies Girl Skateboards, Fourstar Clothing, Royal Trucks, and Chocolate Skateboards.
Both Carroll and Howard decided that they wanted to make a contribution to the skate footwear industry by founding their own company rather than being sponsored. At the time that the Lakai idea was conceived, both riders had left their positions on the DC Shoes team roster.
Former Chocolate skateboard team member Scott Johnston was involved with the Lakai brand since the inception of the company and, as of March 2013, is the Lakai Footwear Design Director. Johnston first began design work for Lakai in 2007 and the Fully Flared video became an unofficial end point to his professional skateboarding career. Johnston told ESPN: "... that was my plan, to end on a good note and not bleed this career dry the way some guys do by not letting it go. Skating was so good to me, and I want to be good to it and not be one of those guys that won't go away. I still skate, I don't need to get paid for it, though."
In March 2013, Howard and Johnston conducted a video interview with the Active mail order company's YouTube channel, explaining the innovation of Howard signature model shoe that had been manufactured with a cup sole, as opposed to the vulcanized sole that Howard had preferred over the preceding five years. Howard explained that Johnston had managed to design a cup sole akin to a vulcanized sole, in addition to other technical aspects, and had therefore proceeded with the release of the design. Johnston stated in a March 2013 interview for the Independent Truck Company that the shoe design was his favorite Lakai design since working for the company.
As of September 2014, the company promotes three specific technological features of its skate shoes under the overall title of "XLK". According to Lakai's website, the technology will "provide the increased structural integrity of a cup sole while reducing overall sole weight by sculpting sidewalls and minimizing rubber in areas where it is not needed." The three features are: "XLK Sole Construction," "High Density Foam," and "Sculpted Sidewalls."
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