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The shoes look good to me. I don’t like busy shoes. These look like nicer Emericas which is probably my fav shoe company. Emericas are starting to look stale though.They haven’t really changed in 20 years. Id actually want to wear them out to dinner or something. I think he made a good point that there’s a hole in the market left by Gravis. Gravis had their own vibe, not just another vans knock off. They were a little more modern and stylish. I like that he does’t have logos plastered all over the shoe but no visible logo at all probably isnt a good business move either. But I don’t know, maybe that makes them more intriguing. People will have to come up and be like what are those?
It seems like you're trying to present it as if Last Resort AB started this trend, while other companies had already begun moving away from visible branding on shoes earlier, like Gravis during the Dylan era, which JT also references. I personally associate this shift with Dylan, who rejected heavily branded, logo-covered products and preferred unique tailoring and good material quality. I think this reflects a more mature mindset that resonates with an older demographic, so Jamie is on the right track with his new brand’s target audience. For me, too, it’s more important to buy a product made from quality materials than to have a logo visible from across the street. I’m glad someone is finally paying attention to sizing as well. I find it baffling that even the big brands (Adidas, Nike, NB) often handle this carelessly, and I frequently have to return shoes due to sizing issues. The 'X' stitching on the side panels is a subtle detail that isn’t flashy but gives the shoe a unique identifier. It seems to me that JT pays special attention to good material usage, and I hope we’ll see some similar, unique materials in the next drops, like what was characteristic of Gravis shoes (blue wax canvas).
I also have no issue with the name choice; I think it makes perfect sense, as Jamie explained. I feel like many people are just here to hate and are looking for reasons to amplify their negativity. It’s a shame that some are already writing this brand off as a failure (or even hoping for it). It seems to me that he has learned from his mistakes and is trying to grow both personally and in business. I see that he speaks with enthusiasm about this project, where he has done and continues to do a lot on his own. He’s funding this brand himself, and it seems he isn’t aiming to be overly ambitious but rather to offer something to a part of the skateboarding community. And who knows, maybe there’s demand for a brand like this, alongside Hours (and I won’t list all the other similar brands).
I think Last Resort is way closer to the original Gravis skate program than warsaw will ever be...
They make simple/tasteful shoes with quality materials & Also experiment with unique materials. They also support a team, & make good videos.
It seems like JT is seeing their model and trying to cash in on a watered down version
Last Resort has existed for several years now, with enough profit to maintain a team. War Saw, on the other hand, is not even available yet; we barely know anything about it, so obviously, there’s no way to fund a team. It seems to me that Jamie isn’t necessarily thinking in the same model as the well-known shoe brands today. The way he talks about the brand’s identity, he seems more interested in working with musicians, artists, and skaters who are less active but deeply connected to skate culture and history. He also refers to the brand as a skateboarding-inspired lifestyle brand. The main characteristics are quality, clean lines, and limited, restrained colors, followed by the ability to skate in them. This is because the target audience (an older generation) may not primarily use these shoes for skating.
Most skate shoe brands have a lifestyle or chiller line alongside their specific skate shoes, but Jamie aims to position these shoes between the two – still capable of being used for skating but with a stronger focus on the lifestyle aspect. To be authentic, it doesn't necessarily require a skate team; it could be about supporting programs, events, concerts, or exhibitions connected to skate culture. What matters more is the brand's DNA, where it comes from, which musicians and artists they work with, and what they share in common.
Last Resort, on the other hand, follows current trends more and has fully become a skate shoe brand, which is great. They have a team, cool videos, and good products, but it’s a much more classic direction/model. Their target audience is much more focused on the younger crowd (which is a broader segment), and different factors are important to them compared to the older generation. The brand’s logo and the look of the shoes are aligned with this: louder, with varied color usage, shiny, textured foxing tape, and a classic Cons-inspired outsole. That’s why I don’t see these two brands crossing paths, nor do I think Jamie is trying to copy this brand. His inspiration likely comes primarily from Hours (and of course Gravis), and secondarily from Clearweather, Clae, Savalé, and Rone.
Topic: Jamie Thomas's new shoe company? (Read 141656 times)