Heritage Brands

[NotSureWhatImDoingHere]

What "heritage" brands can become relevant again? What would have to happen? Could any skateboarders fix these teams? Some that come to mind:

Zero
Flip
Volcom
Emerica
Toy Machine
DC
RVCA
Chocolate

[Dad Board]

It’s up to the owners of these brands at the end of the day. You either adapt or get left behind especially in the business world and almost all on your list are becoming examples of that. Skate brands need new faces and fresh products that reflect the current times and styles while also keeping true to their identity but a lot of those brands are run by people who are probably of the mindset “I’m not out of touch, it’s the kids who are wrong” I wonder if the owners & decision makers of these dying brands are even that psyched on skateboarding at this point, or if they’re just keeping them alive to afford their mortgages and a few rounds of golf every month.

[frontsideNECKTIE]

time for re-issues

[easymoneysniper]

Shanahan carrying DC back to relevance

[SlapTM]

It’s up to the owners of these brands at the end of the day. You either adapt or get left behind especially in the business world and almost all on your list are becoming examples of that. Skate brands need new faces and fresh products that reflect the current times and styles while also keeping true to their identity but a lot of those brands are run by people who are probably of the mindset “I’m not out of touch, it’s the kids who are wrong” I wonder if the owners & decision makers of these dying brands are even that psyched on skateboarding at this point, or if they’re just keeping them alive to afford their mortgages and a few rounds of golf every month.

This. Of course it's only my personal opinion but basically every brand that OP posted still have a lot of the OG owners. Some are still pretty up to date and in touch but a lot of the hardgoods brands that are successful are fully being operated by a young generation. Whether it's brands like WKND, Frog, Primitive, Hockey, all of these business owners are still pretty relevant and hang with younger skateboarders. The brands that been around a long time now have either been sold to non-skateboarders or just have gotten older and still think that they know better. Another issue by itself is that there will always be something new and trendy even if it doesn't last long. Most of the heritage brands have been around 30+ years which is a huge accomplishment by itself yet very easy to get stale if the execs aren't willing to listen to a younger generation.

[JugeL]

What "heritage" brands can become relevant again? What would have to happen? Could any skateboarders fix these teams? Some that come to mind:

Zero
Flip
Volcom
Emerica
Toy Machine
DC
RVCA
Chocolate

If your name gets mentioned with this group, it is too late

[JM]

Just get Travis Scott to design a guest board. That’ll guarantee your board sales increase by 4000%, and your MSRP will nearly triple.

In no time at all, you’ll be saying to you shareholders this quarter: Profits are up!

[Mongo Lloyd]

Shanahan carrying DC back to relevance

I’ve been seeing a ton of people skating the Lynx in clips lately, and they had a string of great collabs throughout the past year.

I think they’re going to be kind of fucked now since the buyout. I can’t imagine corporate heads having any sort of clue on how to manage what seemed to be a resurgence of sorts.

[GumOnMyGrip]

Nike announcing 2billion USD in cuts.
Element basically done.
Krux basically done.
Deck overstock everywhere.
It’s bleak for some companies. Hard to see DC/ Sole Tech making it through this…sole tech actually has an advantage of being smaller and more fluid.

To answer the topic. I wish Flip would re brand with new graphics and riders. There are so many amazing European skaters right now. Maybe pick up some Japan based riders too…I don’t think Ian cares though. Also some sketchy past ( per Rowley).

Chocolate is another. I think it’s more timeless as a brand than Girl. It needs to be smaller though.

Toy Machine has probably run its course. It’s IMO probably top 5 for name recognition and brand identity… 15 years ago. It’s hard to maintain a brand built around a single personality( like ED and his art). Zero is in the same boat. It’s almost impossible to stay fresh forever.

Clothing companies come and go…worst market to survive in…

[disgruntledMTAEmployee]

To answer the topic. I wish Flip would re brand with new graphics and riders. There are so many amazing European skaters right now. Maybe pick up some Japan based riders too…

[Southernmost]

Toy Machine seems to be going the contest route with upcomers. Braden (who’s kind of a contest guy now), Paige Heyn, Cordano Russell I think has been skating Toy bloards and some other Japanese rippers. Also see a lot of Japanese skaters in DC and on Element boards.

[Candied cigarettes]

Shanahan carrying DC back to relevance

I would argue DC should be of this list, it’s more than a heritage brand at this point- at least they have an identity. Replace DC with eS, the dreadful shell of a company that it is

[benboardbreaker]

Toy Machine seems to be going the contest route with upcomers. Braden (who’s kind of a contest guy now), Paige Heyn, Cordano Russell I think has been skating Toy bloards and some other Japanese rippers. Also see a lot of Japanese skaters in DC and on Element boards.

What is Ed Templetons role in Toy Machine today? Is he the owner and the art director and leaves everything else to some one else? He seems more into his photography and art in recent years. Running a skateboard company and being a full time artist i probably not duable. Being a contest brand is very far from their early stuff that I still love. I have a sweet spot for Toy Machine, due to welcome to hell and that era. Also some of the graphics ( not all of them) are still sick, and the OG once they still run are classics.

[Dick Dastardly]

There’s so few “heritage” brands that hold any relevance at all anyway (Baker, a few of the dlx brands are ones that come to mind) and they never fell off. I think trying to come back from the irrelevance abyss is incredibly tough.

[dr.prestige]

Powell Peralta could get a lot cooler and more relevant over the next few years if they play their cards right. I’m sure plenty of people on here think && and Chris Hiett aren’t cool at all but they’ve made a lot of people other than 40+ year old used-to-skate dads pay attention to Powell Peralta, and there’s tons of room for improvement. Regardless, I doubt they would go out of business any time soon

[Cuban_Lynx]

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Shanahan carrying DC back to relevance

[close]

I’ve been seeing a ton of people skating the Lynx in clips lately, and they had a string of great collabs throughout the past year.

I think they’re going to be kind of fucked now since the buyout. I can’t imagine corporate heads having any sort of clue on how to manage what seemed to be a resurgence of sorts.

I’m obviously a huge Lynx fan. I figured they’d go in on pushing Lucien Clarke after he got his first colorway, but I haven’t seen a thing since last year.

[borntoexpire]

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Shanahan carrying DC back to relevance

[close]

I’ve been seeing a ton of people skating the Lynx in clips lately, and they had a string of great collabs throughout the past year.

I think they’re going to be kind of fucked now since the buyout. I can’t imagine corporate heads having any sort of clue on how to manage what seemed to be a resurgence of sorts.

[close]

I’m obviously a huge Lynx fan. I figured they’d go in on pushing Lucien Clarke after he got his first colorway, but I haven’t seen a thing since last year.

He's been teasing a new shoe, Shanahan has new JS-1 colors in the works, and Kalis has been posting the Kalynx Lite or something similar in a bunch of different colors. Heard they're also allegedly doing more Clockers this year? I've seen a whole bunch regarding them cutting the team in half. Maybe I'm living in a fantasy world, but I feel like the team and sales HAD to have been decent in '23? Authentic better not fuck around.

[FUBAR]

I know nobody cares, but here is my take:
When I started back skating again in 2018, I could immediately tell a lot of the old brands I knew (examples- Flip, Zero, Element, etc) were garbage now. Sure, I wanted that damn Penny cheech n chong deck since I never had one back in the day, but nah.
Can they ever come back and not be cringey (to me, at least)? Sure. I don’t know the formula to do that, but I still skate Alien and Habitat and don’t feel weird. Toy Machine is on the line of cringe and something I would still skate, but I think that is due to the graphics.

[fastlane]

I don't think they can. They just have to squeeze every drop out of nostalgia they can. Everything happens in 20 year cycles. Sole tech fucked up, Muska, Creager and Johnson reissues we're all 5 years too late.

The only brand I can think of that came back to relevance was Plan B. So maybe shut the doors for 10+ years and reopen with a young squad that resembles the essence of your original run. Workshop could have maybe done this but they didn't retreat for long enough.

[yghartsyrt]

I don't think they can. They just have to squeeze every drop out of nostalgia they can. Everything happens in 20 year cycles. Sole tech fucked up, Muska, Creager and Johnson reissues we're all 5 years too late.

The only brand I can think of that came back to relevance was Plan B. So maybe shut the doors for 10+ years and reopen with a young squad that resembles the essence of your original run. Workshop could have maybe done this but they didn't retreat for long enough.

oh god – please no. Plan B outside of questionable has always been such a terrible brand with a weird jock attitude. It would be funny and fitting, if the only thing that will be remembered, is the Danny Way anti-covid board with the typo.

of the above mentioned brands, i'd say chocolate would be cool. early 90s Alien Workshop would be great or Blind

[kook1234]

Shanahan carrying DC back to relevance

thats chris senn in jump off a building

[manysnakes]

Powell Peralta could get a lot cooler and more relevant over the next few years if they play their cards right. I’m sure plenty of people on here think && and Chris Hiett aren’t cool at all but they’ve made a lot of people other than 40+ year old used-to-skate dads pay attention to Powell Peralta, and there’s tons of room for improvement. Regardless, I doubt they would go out of business any time soon

The funniest outcome of the coming shakeout in the skateboard industry would be Powell emerging victorious Tortoise and Hare-style.