Black Boxes: Transmitting From the Bottom of the Sole with Zuriick
by JP [jp@slugmag.com]
July 2009 [View Issue]
Tucked off of State Street on a side alley
in between 600 and 700 South and hidden away behind an unlabeled metal
door sit row upon row of brown cardboard boxes. Inside these boxes are
even more boxes––black ones––en route to, among others, fastidious
Japanese customers who demand their product be immaculately wrapped.
Each of those black boxes harbor purple-bottomed kicks that the kids go
gaga for. When they aren’t busy wrapping shoes to please their
customers, the gentlemen behind local shoe company Zuriick are doing what they do best. “We basically hang out, drink a lot, and come up with designs,” says co-partner Chad Tovey.
in between 600 and 700 South and hidden away behind an unlabeled metal
door sit row upon row of brown cardboard boxes. Inside these boxes are
even more boxes––black ones––en route to, among others, fastidious
Japanese customers who demand their product be immaculately wrapped.
Each of those black boxes harbor purple-bottomed kicks that the kids go
gaga for. When they aren’t busy wrapping shoes to please their
customers, the gentlemen behind local shoe company Zuriick are doing what they do best. “We basically hang out, drink a lot, and come up with designs,” says co-partner Chad Tovey.
The local shoe company, which has become
renowned worldwide for their slip-on shoes with the easily identified
purple sole, has been around for about four years. It’s hard to pin
down an exact number because creators Clark Butterfield and Mike McCaleb
were practicing shoe design a few years before that, but Zuriick as a
brand and solid idea has been going strong since the official launch in
November of 2007. The number of shoes being manufactured has steadily
increased and so have the distribution locations. Zuriick still
maintains a lot of growth in the boutiques where they’re found, like Bastille, but also in stores like Urban Outfitters.
It would seem strange coming from a Salt Lake-based company, with the
state being most recognized for the piss-poor liquor laws and dominant
anti-fun religion. “A lot of people are surprised that we’re from Salt
Lake. They don’t expect much to come out of Utah in general,” McCaleb
says. “To me it’s a good place to be because you aren’t oversaturated
with other clothing lines, the new stuff that everybody else is doing.
It gives us that separation to give us our own vision,” McCaleb says.
“I like doing it out of Salt Lake. I think its good for us.”
renowned worldwide for their slip-on shoes with the easily identified
purple sole, has been around for about four years. It’s hard to pin
down an exact number because creators Clark Butterfield and Mike McCaleb
were practicing shoe design a few years before that, but Zuriick as a
brand and solid idea has been going strong since the official launch in
November of 2007. The number of shoes being manufactured has steadily
increased and so have the distribution locations. Zuriick still
maintains a lot of growth in the boutiques where they’re found, like Bastille, but also in stores like Urban Outfitters.
It would seem strange coming from a Salt Lake-based company, with the
state being most recognized for the piss-poor liquor laws and dominant
anti-fun religion. “A lot of people are surprised that we’re from Salt
Lake. They don’t expect much to come out of Utah in general,” McCaleb
says. “To me it’s a good place to be because you aren’t oversaturated
with other clothing lines, the new stuff that everybody else is doing.
It gives us that separation to give us our own vision,” McCaleb says.
“I like doing it out of Salt Lake. I think its good for us.”
Mike McCaleb and Chad Tovey kick it at Zuriick headquarters
Photo: Adam Heath
Staying away from the trends has also enabled
the guys at Zuriick to give their unique and dedicated customers what
they will truly wear––not just what is “hott” in Milan or New York, or
wherever the fuck the shoe mavens reside. “We have an amazingly loyal
fan and customer base. People will email us with how much they love our
brand, or thinking that we designed a shoe for them,” Tovey says. “But
probably the number one comment when people email us is: ‘Thank god
you didn’t put any logos on our shoes.’ Our logo is our purple bottom.”
Tovey believes, as do the rest of the Zuriick crew, that no
identification is the best way. “We have professional people that try
to say we’re missing the boat by not branding our shoe on the outside
and it’s going to restrict us from building our brand. But in a way our
brand is not having anything: that is our logo,” Tovey says. In
addition to the color of their soles, Zuriick stands out because of the
shoe design itself. “The first couple years all we did was the slip-on,
and that is kind of what we’re known for mostly, but we’ve always
wanted to expand into other styles,” McCaleb says. With more customers,
now the brand is able to move outward in new directions. “Now we’ve
finally grown into a place where we can expand and do the things we
wanted to in the beginning and you can see us with our newer shoes the
direction we’re going. We still have our basic slip-on, vulcanized
sole. We’re doing new things but still trying to keep the look of
Zuriick.” Tovey says, “We have a lot more options but still get to
pretty much make shit we like. Mike designs stuff that we would wear or
he would wear and likes, not something we think that people are going
to like.” Tovey says, “I think you get in trouble when you start
designing stuff you think people would want versus what stuff we would
wear or our friends would wear.”
the guys at Zuriick to give their unique and dedicated customers what
they will truly wear––not just what is “hott” in Milan or New York, or
wherever the fuck the shoe mavens reside. “We have an amazingly loyal
fan and customer base. People will email us with how much they love our
brand, or thinking that we designed a shoe for them,” Tovey says. “But
probably the number one comment when people email us is: ‘Thank god
you didn’t put any logos on our shoes.’ Our logo is our purple bottom.”
Tovey believes, as do the rest of the Zuriick crew, that no
identification is the best way. “We have professional people that try
to say we’re missing the boat by not branding our shoe on the outside
and it’s going to restrict us from building our brand. But in a way our
brand is not having anything: that is our logo,” Tovey says. In
addition to the color of their soles, Zuriick stands out because of the
shoe design itself. “The first couple years all we did was the slip-on,
and that is kind of what we’re known for mostly, but we’ve always
wanted to expand into other styles,” McCaleb says. With more customers,
now the brand is able to move outward in new directions. “Now we’ve
finally grown into a place where we can expand and do the things we
wanted to in the beginning and you can see us with our newer shoes the
direction we’re going. We still have our basic slip-on, vulcanized
sole. We’re doing new things but still trying to keep the look of
Zuriick.” Tovey says, “We have a lot more options but still get to
pretty much make shit we like. Mike designs stuff that we would wear or
he would wear and likes, not something we think that people are going
to like.” Tovey says, “I think you get in trouble when you start
designing stuff you think people would want versus what stuff we would
wear or our friends would wear.”
Tovey and McCaleb are relaxed and confident as
they talk, but running a startup company in Utah––a fashionable company
at that––isn’t always as easy as they make it appear. Fortunately the
guys get help from local designer Adam Contreras (also a co-partner) and from Parker Tovey and Ryan Tomita.
“Our whole company is six people big. Parker and Tomita are a lot of
help and the big reason we keep everything going in here. We do a lot
with a very small crew,” Chad Tovey says. The company is sure to grow
larger, though, and with that sort of growth most would expect Zuriick
to jump to a coast. “I think we’ll always keep it in Salt Lake,”
McCaleb says. “I don’t think there’s a reason to move out. I think it
could be detrimental to the company if we did move.” This kind of
attitude bodes well for the future of Zuriick and represents a grounded
attitude (even in the face of growing unit numbers and increased
renown) that other business should take note of.
they talk, but running a startup company in Utah––a fashionable company
at that––isn’t always as easy as they make it appear. Fortunately the
guys get help from local designer Adam Contreras (also a co-partner) and from Parker Tovey and Ryan Tomita.
“Our whole company is six people big. Parker and Tomita are a lot of
help and the big reason we keep everything going in here. We do a lot
with a very small crew,” Chad Tovey says. The company is sure to grow
larger, though, and with that sort of growth most would expect Zuriick
to jump to a coast. “I think we’ll always keep it in Salt Lake,”
McCaleb says. “I don’t think there’s a reason to move out. I think it
could be detrimental to the company if we did move.” This kind of
attitude bodes well for the future of Zuriick and represents a grounded
attitude (even in the face of growing unit numbers and increased
renown) that other business should take note of.
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