What Does Stoke Footwear Mean For The Outdoor Industry?

Summary

The Rock Fight: "What Does Stoke Footwear Mean For The Outdoor Industry?"

Podcast: The Rock Fight: Outdoor Industry & Adventure Sports Commentary
Date: January 19, 2026
Hosts: Colin True, Owen Comerford, Dave, Chris DeMaggs
Theme: Examining the launch of Stoke Footwear, the shifting boundaries of “outdoor” product culture, and how traditional industry values are grappling with new, sometimes controversial, trends.

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Episode Overview

This candid, irreverent episode tackles the arrival of Stoke Footwear—a brash new footwear brand boasting shoes “for real American men”—and asks what its success (or failure) could mean for the future of the outdoor industry. Co-hosts Colin, Owen, and Dave explore contrasting philosophies between core “outdoor” audiences and mass-market brands, riff on recent retail news, debate brand evolution (with plenty of jabs and pop culture references), and end with a parting shot at the ethics of live "death-defying" stunts in outdoor media.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Listener Survey: Outdoor Industry Positivity Check

(04:28–09:27)

• Co-hosts review results from a recent listener survey, seeking rare optimism about brands and trends.
• Top brands listeners are excited about: Lem's, Patagonia, ACG, Fjällräven, Nerona, Mammut, Steel, Rab, Kip Run, Topo, and more.
• Observations on specialty retail preferences: Garage Grown Gear, REI, Winthrow (Seattle), independent shops, and international retailers like Treads.
• Notable Insight:

  "Big events by big corporations trying to make big money will always be lame. But small scale events by small brands or shops having a small impact on small communities are rad. Put that on a T-shirt." – Listener feedback, (08:20)

2. Industry Headlines Recap: Retail & Brand Strategy

(09:27–16:27)

• Analysis of CEO remarks from REI, Dick’s, and VF Corp (owning Timberland, Vans, The North Face) at national conferences.
• Vans: Acknowledging slow turnaround, struggling with loss of subcultural relevance.
• The North Face: Seeking to grow US presence, emphasizing a streamlined focus on “snow, climb, and trail”—but risking drifting further into lifestyle/luxury territory.
• Timberland: Capitalizing on the resurgence of the classic yellow boot, which triggers discussion about the cyclical nature of trends and risks in having a business anchored to one “hero” product.

Notable Quote:

“My takeaway…is they’ve all been to the same media training—which basically is, ‘How do I talk for 15 to 30 minutes and not say a damn thing?’”
– Owen Comerford, (10:49)

3. Maximalism, Monoculture & the Fragmentation of “Outdoor Cool”

(16:27–20:28)

• Hosts debate the meaning of trends—does anything really define “in” anymore?
• The dominance of maximalist/run-inspired shoes; the idea that counterculture is now found in less trendy, “old-school” silhouettes (like boots or flat-bottom trainers).

Notable Quote:

“There was a time: hey, boots are coming back, put your Chucks away…Now it’s: yeah, boots might trend, but you can still wear Sambas or Vans or whatever and still be cool. It’s your personal brand.”
– Colin True, (19:02)

4. Branding vs. Product—Lessons from Footwear Retail

(20:28–25:03)

• Discussion on how heritage product lines (Chucks, Old Skool Vans, Timbs) can box in or buoy a brand.
• The importance of curation and strong point-of-view merchandising in retail, particularly as Foot Locker integrates with Dick’s.
• Differentiating between product marketing (features, tech) and brand marketing (identity, “cool”).
• Key Observation:
  The retail customer at a sporting goods/lifestyle chain isn’t there for features; they’re buying brand “sauce.”

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Lightning Round Highlights

(25:03–33:09)

• J.Crew Partners with U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team:
  Capsule collection praised for timeless Americana style—but does the collab feel retro or relevant?

  “I love this collection…Americana, timeless, a little bit of preppy with a nostalgic kind of edge.”
  – Dave, (26:54)

• JD Sports Sells Through AI Platforms:
  Debates on the future of shopping via ChatGPT, trust in AI commerce, and whether consumers will hand over credit cards to bots anytime soon.

• Outdoor Research Launches Glove Athlete Team:
  Gentle mockery of micro-niche athlete teams (“Where is the Gaiter Team?”), but acknowledgement that this is smart positioning for OR as accessories specialist.

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Main Story: Stoke Footwear—A Shock to the Outdoor System?

(33:09–47:18)

What is Stoke Footwear?

• Launched Jan 2026, targets “real American men who don’t run marathons or walk catwalks.”
• Promises fit/comfort for “big, wide, thick feet”—running-inspired but not performance.
• Price point: $85, distribution in 450+ stores, including outdoor-leaning Shields.
• Led by Rick Blackshaw (ex-hey dude, CCM Hockey, Sperry, Keds).

Hosts’ Unfiltered Reactions

Owen:

• Acknowledges impressive retail launch; skeptical of the “manosphere” branding and cartoonish product design.

• “If you just took this shoe…90% of people say, ‘Oh, it’s a shoe for a 10 year old boy that’s into Buzz Lightyear.’ It’s stubby, a lightning bolt…looks like a kid’s shoe.”
  – Owen, (34:26)

Dave:

• Sees the branding as over-the-top, almost juvenile, but notes that hey dude’s success proves not to underestimate this market.

• “If Gimli son of Glóin had a signature trainer, this might be his…It just feels like it’s trying too hard.”
  – Dave, (36:24)

Colin:

• Admits the brand isn’t meant for “core” folks like the hosts—posits this is a direct play for underserved big-footed, non-athletic customers.
• Surprised that top-tier outdoor retailer Shields would jump aboard.

Industry Takeaways:

• The strategy: Use an “active” look (without performance) to appeal to non-active consumers—directly confronting outdoor purists’ culture.
• The product intentionally rejects athletic/sporty aspirations, which may repel or appeal depending on self-image.

Retail Perspective:
Owen, as ex-Moose Jaw, wouldn’t have picked up Stoke—“not cool” and below the premium price norm. But hosts admit there’s an obvious market gap; as running shoes get more expensive, “running adjacent” shoes at $85 could sell big.

Branding Critique:
Is the “proudly American, brick shithouse” stance the right play? Is it self-deprecating, honest, exclusionary, or all three? Hosts question whether men want to buy a shoe that “tells the world you’re not athletic”—or if playful branding is, in fact, the new superpower.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the challenge of hero products:

  “If 80% of your business is in this one style, it becomes challenging…you’re not as resilient to the market.”
  – Owen, (20:28)

• On Stoke’s brand voice:

  “I'm a bigger guy…it's about time a shoe company focuses on people who aren't ultra athletic. I'm built like a brick shithouse. Stoke is literally made for men like me.”
  – Stoke homepage review read by Owen, (47:28)

• On changing retail/brand dynamics:

  “If we had seen this at Costco or Walmart, we wouldn’t have batted an eye…But if you’re shopping in Shields, passing all these ‘outdoor’ brands, then—boom—a wonder boy lightning bolt Stoke Footwear…There’s a little WTF.”
  – Colin, (46:05)

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Parting Shot: On “Skyscraper Live” & the Ethics of Outdoor Spectacle

(48:41–53:51)

• Colin criticizes Netflix’s promo for Alex Honnold’s upcoming live urban free solo, arguing it exploits the possibility of disaster (“Looky Lou” TV).

  “Using the very real possibility of his demise to market the live broadcast…doesn’t feel very good.”
  – Colin, (49:50)

• Compares it to old Evel Knievel media stunts—spectacle over substance.
• Dave agrees:

  “This feels like Fox…It just feels…tune in because you might see someone die.”
  – Dave, (51:50)

• Hosts debate whether they’ll watch (Colin will, Owen/Dave refuse on principle).

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Timestamps Guide for Important Segments

• Listener Survey & Trends: 04:28–09:27
• Headlines: VF Corp, REI, Dick’s: 09:27–16:27
• Footwear & Subculture: 16:27–20:28
• Product vs. Brand Marketing: 20:28–25:03
• Lightning Round: 25:03–33:09
• Deep Dive: Stoke Footwear: 33:09–47:18
• Parting Shot: Skyscraper Live Ethics: 48:41–53:51

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Closing Vibe

The Rock Fight brings its trademark blend of skepticism, humor, cultural insight, and deep industry knowledge. This episode is a must-listen for anyone wondering how outdoor culture, fashion, and big-box retail are colliding in 2026—and what the “next big thing” in the outdoor market might say about us all.

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To participate: Sign up for their newsletter at Rockfight.co and join the ongoing “product athlete team” survey for a chance to inspire the next episode.

Transcript

[Colin True]

Today's episode of the Rock Fight was made possible by support from Global Sales Guys. Global Sales Guys isn't your normal sales agency. With offices across the US and Europe and partnerships with retailers on four continents, GSG is your one stop shop for brands looking to grow their presence in outdoor specialty shops worldwide. Brands like Vandier, Red Bull, Nikki Picture, Organic, Kip Run, Decathlon Deluxe, Fubuki and Gore Tex all know that Global Sales guys provide an innovative and full service approach to delivering their brands. Sal and Marketing Needs. Is your brand looking to break into the US Outdoor market? Is your retail shop looking for what's next? Then you need to be working with Global Sales guys and if you want to know what's next when it comes to outdoor running and action sports, specialty retail, Global Sales Guys is what's next. See for yourself what's next and get in touch with Global Sales guys by heading to globalsalesguys.com today. Hey rock fighters. 2026 has arrived and Lem Shoes is ringing in the New Year with new products that will keep your feet happy no matter what the occasion. Hey you, get out for a hike. Check out the Trail Thrasher or the Trailblazer Mid. Are you looking for function and fashion? The Summit Boot Pro will work hard to make you look good while keeping your feet comfy during the winter months. And at the end of the day, stay comfy with Lem's brand new Zen Clog and attention. Outdoor and footwear retailers Lemz recently expanded their wholesale sales team. Do you want to meet your new local rep? Well send an email to Colo. That's c o l omshoes.com just make sure you tell them that the Rock Flight sent you lems where less equals more. Fjallraven isn't here to conquer mountains, tame rivers or beat the weather. We are here to go slowly, to tread carefully and to cherish the visit. For us, the outdoor experience has never been a race to victory. It's an ongoing journey to create equipment and memories that last for generations to come. Our mission is to inspire more people to move with nature and we do this by developing durable and functional equipment that never goes out of fashion. What we really want is to make it easier for people to enjoy spending time in nature on nature's terms. This is our passion. So let's use this vast experience and competence to help more people feel at home in nature because when they do, they will take greater care of it. Get started on your Fjallraven journey by heading to fjallraven.com today.

[Chris DeMaggs]

Rock flight. Rock Flight. Rock Flight. Rock Flight. Rock Flight. Rock Flight.

[Colin True]

Welcome to the Rock Flight, where we speak our truth, slays sacred cows and sometimes agree to disagree. This is an outdoor podcast that aims for the head. I'm Colin True, and joining me today, be sure to to check out Netflix this weekend to catch their new special where they'll be climbing a flight of stairs at the mall on their way to check out a footlocker. It's Owen Comerford and producer Dave.

[Owen Comerford]

That's right.

[Colin True]

Can't wait for it, guys.

[Dave]

That's right.

[Owen Comerford]

I'm not. I'm escalator only, Colin. I'm not climbing.

[Colin True]

As Mitch Hedberg says, an escalator can never break because it just turns into stairs.

[Dave]

Well, vertical limit 2 electric boogaloo is what we're. Yes, yes, yes. Or the elevator is out.

[Colin True]

Today we will be talking about some recent headlines that come out of the outdoor industry with a parting shot for Alex Oddled's big upcoming Netflix special. But first, our inbox is open, folks. We want to hear from you. Please send your emails to myrockfightmail.com that's where you can reach out. And if you have a comment for the outdoor industry insider, Owen Comerford, you can email [e-mail] or you can find the consigliere Owen Comerford on LinkedIn. Did you post anything last week, Owen?

[Owen Comerford]

I did not. It's been busy. You know, people don't do anything for the last two weeks of the year and then they, they come back and they're just like, oh, yeah, right.

[Colin True]

They're like, hey, man, we took the last six weeks off, but now I need to talk to you immediately.

[Owen Comerford]

Right? Everything is happening now, right? And it's like, shouldn't we have planned 2026 before 2026? But anyway, whatever.

[Colin True]

People can be blamed for a lack of a LinkedIn post from Owen last week. How dare all of you do that. To deny us his wisdom. But normally you can find a couple of posts a week over on LinkedIn. Reach out to Owen there if you want to get in touch with him. Also, don't miss the next episode of Gear Abbey, where Shantae Salibert will answer all of your burning outdoor questions. You can find Gear Abby on your favorite podcast app. However, starting today, we are going to check in on our latest survey. This past week in Rock Fight's newsletter, News from the front, we sent out a new listener survey that was seeking some positivity along with some feedback from our listeners. We asked you, the listeners, what outdoor brand?

[Dave]

Why does that seem so out of place, Colin?

[Colin True]

Because the world is burning down around us. So, like, basic, what are you happy about?

[Dave]

I thought that was, you know, is your hot take related to that? Is that the deal?

[Colin True]

No, just was hoping we get some people who told us some cool things about this industry that we work in.

[Dave]

Hot takes, cool things. Next on the Rock.

[Owen Comerford]

But this, this, if you're, if you remember back to last week, this was actually inspired by the fact that 100% of the people in, in the survey last week agreed that it was going to be a shitty year, basically. So we're like, please give us some good news.

[Colin True]

It's going to be a down year. We, we agree. 100% of us agree. So, yeah. We asked, what outdoor brands are you excited about? What outdoor industry trends are you excited about? And what is an. And who is an outdoor industry retailer that is doing it right in 2026? We got a ton of great responses. So I think we're going to keep this train going. We're going to ask another question for next week's episode. So if you want to get the survey, first, sign up for news from the front by heading to Rockfight Co, and then we'll post the survey link on LinkedIn a day or two after the survey comes out. But let's go through some of the responses we got. We got, what outdoor industry brands are you excited about? Number one came in Lem's supporter of the show. I'm a Lem's dealer and the brand brings people in. That's pretty good. We gotta vote for Patagonia. Patagonia just, you know, continues to be a brand people are excited about and good on them for doing it. We're fans of Patagonia despite maybe some of the things you hear and some of the comments you might read on Apple podcasts. We are supporters.

[Owen Comerford]

Yeah, we are. Absolutely.

[Colin True]

Dave, take a victory lap. We had someone who just wrote in acg.

[Dave]

Oh, there you go.

[Colin True]

This was a good one. Fjallraven, Nerona, anything Scandinavian.

[Owen Comerford]

I'm all for that.

[Colin True]

They still truly understand what being outdoors should represent. A few votes for Mammoth. Some of the new products they're bringing in. Also some people, this was obviously a buyer. They say, I'm looking at steel and rab as replacements for some of my current gear. We had a vote for Kip Run, who we saw at the running event. And then Topo. This one was interesting. Topo, one of the only shoe brands. I hear people swear By. And now it's number four and number five on the 25 PCT. The 2025 PCT Gears Survey.

[Dave]

You sure they're not swearing at them? Just one of.

[Colin True]

Apparently not. The next one for Topo was Topo footwear because they realized toe boxes should be roomy and not cramped. Montreal was great at Montreal was great. Before Columbia fucked them up like okay, dude, that was.

[Dave]

That's a long time ago. That's like complaining about the Egyptian kind of monarchy screwing each other over 2,000 years ago.

[Colin True]

No, it was a long time ago.

[Dave]

Yeah, like really?

[Owen Comerford]

That's a deep cut.

[Colin True]

Yeah. Statue limitations has expired on that one.

[Owen Comerford]

Yeah. They're still going on with their Montreal. They've got some. Some cloud veil that. That they really. They're really looking to get.

[Colin True]

To get.

[Owen Comerford]

Some hate some Dana designs.

[Dave]

Oh come on.

[Colin True]

We had one vote for Astro and then one that was just Mount to Coast, Nordisk 7, Mesh, Madison Normal and Garmin. So I don't know if that's just a rock fight. Super fan. But. But they. But that was a good one.

[Dave]

Sounds like a sales reps portfolio.

[Chris DeMaggs]

That's right.

[Colin True]

All the brands that I represent.

[Dave]

That's right.

[Colin True]

What outdoor industry trends are you excited about? Somebody said putting bikes back within the canon of outdoor. I opened a shop with the idea of that being a big part of it.

[Dave]

Yes.

[Colin True]

They said I started off in the bike industry in 2000 but it's the outdoor industry that gives me hope. That's nice. Okay, so this one is a. Some things.

[Dave]

We found the one.

[Owen Comerford]

This is.

[Colin True]

The more things change, the more they stay the same. We had back to back answers of fast packing and then the next one was ultralight and sustainability.

[Dave]

Did anybody mention the timing of trade shows?

[Colin True]

Yes, actually. This is a good way to move the last one. First of all. The second. The last one was e Mountain bike. Gotta love those things. I feel I'm being trolled with with that comment 100.

[Owen Comerford]

Yes.

[Dave]

Yes.

[Colin True]

The last comment here on this one that I wanted to read was in person. Events are back. Big events by big corporations trying to make big money will always be lame. But small scale events by small brands or shops having a small impact on small communities are rad. Put that on a T shirt.

[Dave]

Okay. Right. Size shaming.

[Colin True]

And then who is an outdoor industry retailer that is doing it right in 2026? We had a bunch of responses. We had a few for our pal Lloyd Vogel and garage Growing gear. It's the best place to find gear that you really need. It's not rei or Dicks. But then we had some people who wrote in rei. We had a bunch of REI respondents. Here we go. Not sure I live in Portland. Dave, did you write in independent Specialty is lacking. I wish we had a shields.

[Owen Comerford]

Okay.

[Dave]

We don't even have an rei.

[Colin True]

Your local skate or snowboard shop and then the last one Winthrow in Seattle, they carry rad brands not found at REI backcountry. You can actually go in and discover a new product or brand. Plus they put on dope events. Sounds like that's a rock fight endorsed retailer right there. They're doing all the things we say you should do.

[Owen Comerford]

Yes.

[Colin True]

Oh, and then the other last one was in the uk. So our international listeners weighing in Treads, which is an online retailer, they do good discounts in posts. Brick and mortar also. So there you go. Let's get into the headlines we want to talk about today. So this past week we saw comments made by a bunch of notable outdoor industry leaders. Mary Beth Lawton of REI and Ed Stack from Dick's both spoke at the 2026 National Retail Federation. MB spoke about REI's Peak 28 strategy and the role of AI and tech in outdoor retail, while Ed Stack reiterated his enthusiasm for Dick's acquisition of Foot Locker. Also presenting at NRF for the leaders of Timberland, the North Basin vans, and speaking of those VF owned brands per SGB at the ICR conference, VF CEO Bracken Darrell, who still has the undisputed best name in the industry, focus his presentation on the future of vans in Timberland and the North Face. For vans, that means a focus on product for tnt. This is according to what Daryl's comments during his presentation for the North Face. Darrell sees untapped opportunities in the US Maybe surprisingly for some of us on this podcast here and for Timberland, that means capitalizing on the classic yellow boots resurgence. So a lot of CEO talk in the news this past week. Owen, what were your takeaways from the recap of Brack and Darrell's ICR presence presentation?

[Owen Comerford]

I mean, my takeaway from all of these presentations is they've all been to the same media training, which basically is how do I talk for 15 to 30 minutes and not say a damn thing? I mean, let's say enough that we.

[Colin True]

Have a bunch of articles published about it.

[Owen Comerford]

Yeah, exactly. There was a whole bunch of brand gobbledygook in there, but I think there were some nuggets from specifically from Brack and Daryl's presentation. I think if you read between the lines, what you have to do in these things. Vans is taking a little longer than they thought it would. Right. Because I think it's Sunny Clow is the, is the CEO they brought in there. Some of the product redo that she's undertaken is coming to the market. It sounds like it has some traction, but as of the last quarter they were still down, I think with 9 or 10%.

[Colin True]

And they lost Dave to ACG this past year too.

[Owen Comerford]

Okay. So I mean that right there, that's a major, major hit. Accounts for at least 10 pairs and they are talking about change to distribution. And yeah, I think there's obviously still work to be done there, but I think they feel like the momentum is coming, but it hasn't shown in the numbers. And then for North Face, the interesting thing there was, as you pointed out, the fact that they thought that they had opportunity in the U.S. that's where they thought, thought they were under penetrated. And it's like, really, have you, have you, have you been to a, like a soccer game in any Midwestern, you know, town? It's like it's, I mean, everyone's in North Face, so. But I think the subtext there was the year round aspect. You know, I think what, let's face it, North Face for all intents and purposes is a lifestyle outerwear brand. Right. That's just the major chunk of their business. And so the code that they've got to crack is, okay, how do we get the people that wear our outerwear in the winter to wear our other stuff in the summer? And so that to me is where the penetration is. And I'm sure, especially given the weather that we're seeing out west right now, I'm sure they would love to be less weather dependent in terms of their outerwear business.

[Colin True]

I want your inbox to brace for the influx of emails from the outdoor fanboys who said, Comerford, you said North Face isn't an outdoor brand anymore.

[Owen Comerford]

I didn't say that exactly.

[Colin True]

That's how they're going to take it.

[Dave]

Well, Owen, finish your thought about the streamlined focus.

[Owen Comerford]

So one of the things that the CEO there, I think it's Caroline Brown, I want to say. Is that right?

[Colin True]

Yes.

[Owen Comerford]

So one of the things that the CEO there said, Caroline Brown in her piece was talking about this streamlined focus that they have around snow, climb and trail and that those have become the new touch points for everything that they do. Every product that they, that they build has to really address one of those three things, snow, climb or trail. But I think the challenge with that is Realistically, if they're going to appeal to that jacket buyer in the summer, it's going to be more of a lifestyle piece. And maybe it's trail inspired or climb inspired, but you know, that person buying, you know, the nipsey jacket and walking around Central park, they're not going to buy, you know, tights for the climbing gym or whatever. I mean, not necessarily. There's some overlap there, but it's not a lot.

[Dave]

I think I've cracked the code. Now that you've. You point that out. Snow, climb and trail, maybe that's just another way to say party career and commuting. And that could be their lifestyle focus. Right?

[Owen Comerford]

Yeah.

[Dave]

Why can't they told us where they're going?

[Colin True]

Yeah. Why can't, you know, a lifestyle have categories like that?

[Dave]

Right. I mean, clearly, clearly. And I just wanted to say one thing about Vance because I have to weigh in. I think they're facing an existential crisis that's way bigger than their product.

[Owen Comerford]

Okay. I think they're reflexively going, he's being sincere.

[Dave]

Oh, I'm being sincerely bitty. But no, they are no longer the symbol of alternative culture that they once were. They've lost their edge about the defining that side of subculture. And that's not coming back. And that's okay. It's just that they've grown way out of that. And today I think they have more in common with the gap than they do with alternative subculture. And so the fixes that are going to be required, while product is always a launchpad, you always need to keep bringing out the new. But the idea that they're going to land on a checkerboard, slip on or an old school that's going to redefine the brand is very small. I think this is about branding and really, once they've got to this level of polish, it's hard to be the icon of alternative. And so how are they going to adjust that message going forward as a brand that is new and not what they were before and distribution's a part of that product mix, all of that. But it is a new vans and I don't know if they fully embrace that yet.

[Colin True]

Well, the trend parts piece of. It's interesting, right. I mean, kind of moving into the Timberland part of it. Right. So Timberland, obviously we gave them a little grief a couple weeks ago of their terrible boot that they came out with. But aside from that, the. Apparently the yellow boot is seeing a comeback. Right. It's starting to trend more as a, as a. As A fashion item. Do you see a footwear trend shift coming, Dave, because of, you know, because, because of what Vans is trying to do that more people are buying boots? Do you think we. The running thing wears out a little.

[Dave]

Bit in the olden days that would be true. I'm not sure that that's the same. That the hot boot style will be the harbinger of a trend shift. I mean certainly the vans challenges certainly add to that in terms of silhouettes are going to be popular. And even with the heat that they're getting, I'm not sure that the wheat boot has the pull that once did. But yes, the idea that we can be shifting into preference to chunkier shoes, even the trail running thing is predicated a bit on that. It's taking the sleek silhouettes of run or even the maximalism of kind of cushion and bringing in a, a new kind of chunk, if you will, even if it's just in tread size. So I think that's all part of it. But I think it's definitely going to be a part of Timberland's kind of DNA mix as they try to what is expand from just kind of a boot off.

[Colin True]

Yeah, I mean this is a little like. I'll go ahead.

[Owen Comerford]

But like so from a, you know, alternative to the mainstream kind of approach which Vans was and you could say Tim's to a degree because it, because it, you know, came out of urban culture, et cetera. The fact that maximalist shoe is now the mainstream, I mean we saw it at tre, right. It was. Every effing shoe looked the same.

[Colin True]

We're going to talk about one coming up here which has a maximalist look to it.

[Owen Comerford]

Right, right, exactly. And so now every asshole is wearing those shoes. Right. And so potentially this asshole included. So potentially. Now if you are part of a counterculture, if you will, like like a Vans wanted to be or and once was then going back to a flat bottomed, low profile look or a boot look is counterculture to the, to the core.

[Dave]

Yeah, you're totally right. And again I say that without. I mean yes, Vans is still a, a marker of a counterculture. Converse is still going to be that way. Dr. Martens is still going to be. They have resonance to. They're not going away from it. It's just that their brands have shifted in a big macro sense and like I said, they've gotten much more polished. And so it's like taking a. Now, now it's like taking a dress shoe and scuffing it and wearing it into Situations that you wouldn't normally. I mean, it's just they now kind of cross both of those worlds. But yeah, I think young, young subversives will still continue to grow up wearing some of those footwear choices.

[Colin True]

Well, these are three really interesting brands for a conversation like this, right? Because they, in their own way, have established movements in a lot of ways, like coming out of the 70s, 80s, 90s. I mean, what does a trend even mean anymore? And when now we're in a world of niche, small audiences all the way to. Great point, right? Pop culture, all these things. Interests are now being served. There was a time where it's like, hey, boots are coming back. Put your Chucks away and your vans away because we're wearing boots now. Now it's like, yeah, okay, there's some more interest maybe in this, in boots, but doesn't mean that you can't still wear sambas or Chucks or vans or whatever it is and still be considered cool, right? Because now it's more about like, what's your personal brand and your personal look and your personal, how are you dressing is more important than fitting into the broader monoculture, which doesn't really exist anymore.

[Dave]

Right. Well, it's more like music. Yeah, right. You have your fit. You have so many styles, brands, choices, everything at your fingertips. The exclusivity aspect is hard to replicate.

[Colin True]

So thinking about that, like this strategy, like, if they're really leaning back into the yellow boot, which probably makes sense, it's iconic, it's a boot that people know and everyone should have a pair in your closet, all that kind of thing, can that pay off? I mean, if as Dick's looks to figure out Foot Locker's future, right? If you look at the retail, how you bring this a trend and your product back to a retailer, you know, how does this. How do you. Does this strategy pay off to kind of focus in on the yellow boot?

[Owen Comerford]

I don't think Tim's ever really stopped focusing on the yellow boot, if we're being honest. I think that the challenge that Tim's has with the yellow boot or fans, maybe even with the old school, is when you get so identified with one style, you're just such a victim, if you will, to the ebbs and flows of whether that style is in or out. Same with the Chuck Taylor, right? It's like that is the style. You can make a whole shit ton of other great stuff and great styles, but if 80% of your business is in this one style, it just becomes. It becomes challenging, right? You're not as resilient to the market. And I think there was an interesting comment from Bracken during his presentation that the top seller of the 6 inch boot back in the day was a single foot action store out of New Jersey and Foot Action used to be owned by Foot Locker. So it does kind of get you thinking like okay, well is that the entree to footlocker being more on trend? And I must admit I haven't been into a physical footlocker in a decade. So it's been a hot minute. But I was online and they have 12 different styles of the Timbu today. The six inch and four of those are exclusives like a blue suede type of one. There's some color, some with patent leather for the lower part of the upper. I mean just interesting stuff. So I could see a world in which as they take their merchandising to the next level, a much more curated approach. Which is I think what Ed Stack is talking about to where you could have more of a capsule collection for Tim's in a Foot Locker store where it's a whole thing versus just one more pair of boots on the wall.

[Colin True]

Dave, does that something we talk about on the show a bunch and you and I have talked about offline is the a lot of and a lot of outdoor industry brands insisting on product marketing over brand marketing, right? And so to that to Owen's point, like, you know, now you have the 6 inch boot is everywhere. You can find multiple versions of it on here. And like so differentiate is the strategy to then elevate the brand as opposed to focusing it on a single product.

[Dave]

I think what you're kind of even pointing at is that the customer traditionally in an athletic setting or lifestyle space like a Foot Locker or Foot Action, isn't there necessarily buying on feature, right? So even though they're looking for an outdoor capable product like a boot or an outdoor type boot, that's not the appeal to it, it's the, it's the fashionability, it's the style. And so therefore making sure your brands stay up in that kind of style desire place with then the. The feature benefits being more of a rationalization to that emotional kind of want that's primary in that distribution. So if you're going to distribute there, you need to play in that and recognize that's where that customer's at. And then of course the specialty equation might be different right. In terms of where you're leaning into and what kind of the customer's looking for. So I think it has to do with that kind of play. I mean, foot action was always interesting because they were always more of a streetwear, seasonal trend, lifestyle silhouette kind of thing with athletic tinge to it. Made them distinct from Foot Locker. And really what you've seen since the acquired and, you know, re gestated and spit up foot action, it's. They've kind of adopted some of that. So I think Foot Locker can create the, like you said, curated spaces or just the distribution or the, I should say, the product mix that will allow them to go from core functional athletic product all the way into style trend outdoor product. Right?

[Owen Comerford]

Yeah. Because I think a lot of what good merchandising about is actually having a point of view. Right. And I think, you know, what Ed Sack was talking about in the latest call was that it was just a sea of like, just a string of shoes, one, one after the other, not differentiated in any way, versus basically saying taking a point of view and saying, no, no, we're not going to show you whatever, 50 basketball shoes. We're going to show you 15 basketball shoes. But we're going to romance the hell out of those shoes. And we're telling you that these are the shoes you want because these are the coolest shoes.

[Dave]

Right, I agree. I'd like to see what. What Dick Locker is going to do with their, you know, distinction, for sure.

[Colin True]

All right, guys, well, I think it's time for the lightning round. Are we ready?

[Owen Comerford]

Oh, so ready.

[Dave]

Okay.

[Chris DeMaggs]

Lightning round.

[Colin True]

All right, first up in the lightning round, per retail boss J. Crew has launched a new collection of lifestyle apparel As a partner of the US Ski and Snowboard Team. The 26 piece capsule collection is hitting at the perfect time, just ahead of the upcoming Winter Olympics. Dave, reading this made me think one thing and one thing only. J. Crew still exists. How did I miss that?

[Owen Comerford]

You're not a 50 something woman, Colin. So that's as far as we know.

[Colin True]

What?

[Dave]

As far as we know. Right. Oh, Colin, I. Look, I know I have a soft spot for Jake.

[Colin True]

I do too, by the way.

[Dave]

Growing up in the 80s and 90s, there look, the last 15 years has been nothing but a slow slide into downward pricing and blending in. I mean, that's. That is. There's just no way around that. And look, all these retailers have come in and taken their place. I mean, that's just. They took what they kind of pioneered and turned it into kind of now this kind of base segment, if you will. That said, I love this collection. I think it looks great. It completely captures to me the brand represents this kind of Americana, timely, timeless, a little bit of preppy with a nostalgic kind of edge. But it's modern. Honestly. I think sports teams could learn from this collection, frankly, and how to take your brand. A simple slogan or an icon, like what they're doing with the team and the flag and turning it into really interesting wearable concepts and silhouettes. I think they're gonna make, I think they're gonna sell a lot of these pieces. They're just wearable. Beyond being kind of Winter Olympic and American flag kind of focused. I think they do. I think it's a great job. I was surprised, I thought how well it came together. It was very accessible and very clean.

[Owen Comerford]

It feels like though it could have. These things could have come from the 80s, you know, in terms of like the photography and the overall feeling.

[Dave]

The 80s doing the 50s.

[Owen Comerford]

There you go.

[Dave]

Right.

[Colin True]

All right, next up, according to Footwear News, British retailer JD Sports is launching a new way of shopping through AI platforms. Customers will now be able to purchase directly through AI platforms like Google, Gemini and ChatGPT. Owen, are you excited to claim an early victory for one of your 2026 predictions?

[Owen Comerford]

I am always excited to claim a victory, Colin. Although I don't think I can totally claim it here because this is.

[Colin True]

I will give it to you.

[Owen Comerford]

Thank you. I appreciate that. You're an easy score. I would only give myself maybe even partial credit on this one just because I was thinking more in terms of on site custom LLMs for the, for a brand. This is.

[Colin True]

Right.

[Owen Comerford]

This is on the broader, you know, LLM itself. And really it's more of a kind of like an IT payments integration story because you can get on there. You can ask, you know, what your, what your. What sort of footwear? I mean, JD is owner of a finish line and one of the bigger players in England or in the uk. But you can ask about what kind of athletic footwear it'll help you. ChatGPT will. And then you can just click on a link and buy it directly. Now it requires you to set up payments. And then I think the interesting question here is how quickly will people trust giving an AI their credit card? Right. And I know I probably sound like, you know, the young people, like, oh, sure, what the hell?

[Colin True]

But like Grandpa 1996.

[Owen Comerford]

Well, exactly.

[Colin True]

Right. I mean, I'll mail my check in.

[Dave]

Well, my day we had to enter it in each field, but.

[Owen Comerford]

But, well, right. A quarter century ago, people were saying that about E commerce. Like, I'm never going to put my. I Put my credit card into a website? Are you crazy? So I.

[Colin True]

How convenient, right?

[Owen Comerford]

I think it'll happen, but I don't know. There's also a lot of, you know, kind of AI run rampant fears here, you know, and is the AI going to go off and, you know, buy a bunch of uranium on the black market with your credit card?

[Dave]

I don't know. The answer is yes. And the answer is also, AI is not dumb. They're going to take those fears and turn it into an old school order form, and you're going to put your credit card in, just like you're doing now. And you'll never be the wiser until.

[Colin True]

The uranium shows up at your door.

[Dave]

Until the uranium shows up. Or at least the government agency investigating the purchase.

[Colin True]

If you get some, you know, uranium and you have a flux capacitor. Oh, that was plutonium. I don't know what the difference is.

[Dave]

Processing.

[Colin True]

Oh, okay. All right, last one. According to a press release, Outdoor Research has announced its newest team of athletes. This group will be composed of elite skiers and snowboarders, and they will make up the OR Athlete Glove Team. That's right. It's a big win for the accessories category as OR has a glove specific team. Dave, thoughts on a category specific athlete team? Is this long overdue? Too specific? What do you think?

[Owen Comerford]

Exactly? Where is the Gator team? That's what I want.

[Colin True]

Yeah, exactly.

[Dave]

Forget about the glove team.

[Owen Comerford]

I want the OR Gator Team. That's the team I want.

[Chris DeMaggs]

That's right.

[Colin True]

We've all been waiting years for the Gator Team.

[Dave]

Oh, Owen, I have to agree. The Gator Team is a must. That is what I am here for. Well, I love this. I love the fact that they're making a big deal of it. I mean, it's like, not even new. I mean, Skeeter's got a whole business built on athletes wearing accessories, right? So it's not like it's a crazy idea, but it does kind of lead you down the path. Like, why not a Gator team? Why not a headlamp team? Just, you know, I want to see that. Just, just for the. The team photo grid. It's all just people with their light flashing right in front of your face. Like, you can't see any of them.

[Colin True]

Can't see their face.

[Dave]

You're just like, no, that'd be awesome. That'd just be such a great. The new Headlamp Team. And so I think we should ask, what else would make a great accessory team? That's my question to everybody. What would you build an athlete team around? What? Ath?

[Owen Comerford]

What sticking with? I would go with the sun hat.

[Dave]

Right?

[Owen Comerford]

I mean a good sun hat team.

[Dave]

Lots of sun hats.

[Owen Comerford]

Dorky looking dads out there in their or sun hats. That would be amazing.

[Dave]

See, Sunday afternoon sharpens their elbows and says, no, no, I'm coming into this. This would be great. Love it.

[Colin True]

I'm writing this down for next week's survey. What would make for a good product focused athlete team. That's right.

[Dave]

Oh, dude, the sun hat's amazing. That actually could be a competitive category. Immediately you take. Yeah, I like that.

[Colin True]

I think it's kind of a funny thing that you can make fun of it for sure. Because it's funny. Hey, we have a glove team. But also it kind of seems overdue because I'm sure like or has lost out to athletes to bigger, more well established or well funded anyway apparel brands, right? Like the skier went here. It's like, hey, you know what we're really good at? We're really known for our accessories and our gloves. Fuck it. We're gonna be like, we're gonna become that. And I think that was really smart. So now, hey, you wanna go be a North Face athlete? Great. But I'm not wearing your gloves. Cause I'm an OR glove, you know.

[Dave]

You know, this is, and it's a little, little tangential, but this was kind of Wilson's issue for a long time that they lost out to all the athletes wearing Adidas or Nike or you know, Reebok and things like that couldn't pay. But they had the equipment, they had the racket or they had the ball, the basketball or the football. And so it's a way to get into the athlete endorsement game, but not playing in that much bigger, more costly stage that might be the, in the entire body. So.

[Owen Comerford]

But I think the interesting thing here is actually this isn't entirely new because, you know, because you've got glove specific brands that have athlete teams like Hestra. If you go to their site, they have an our athletes page which has a bunch of people that wear Astra gloves. So sure. Is it news? It's just the fact though that OR which has a much wider product, product line is saying, no, no, we just have a set of glove people.

[Dave]

Great point.

[Colin True]

All right, main story today. So per SGB last week, a new footwear brand is on the scene. Stoke footwear launched on January 5th and according to its website, it is a shoe brand for quote, real American men. Men who don't run marathons. Or walk catwalks. According to Stoke, they deliver fit, comfort and power. The product itself is running inspired in its look. The silhouettes look like running shoes. If you haven't seen it, definitely check it out. We'll link it in the show notes the midsoles have kind of alluded to it earlier during another topic. They have a bit of a modern running shoe stack height look to them, but the brand says they are not making running shoes, but instead making shoes for big American men with wide and thick feet. Now, listeners may be asking why we're covering a casual shoe made for people who likely don't do or even understand the activities we do in the outdoor industry. Well, it's because that in addition to being able to buy Stoke Footwear direct on their website, last week the brand announced they'll be launching in 450 retail doors across the U.S. those retailers include Rack Room, Shoe Department Shoe and Shoe Sensation as well as Academy and wait for it, Shields. So guys, this brand is probably making the core outdoor folks lose their fucking mind right now. Owen, let's start with you impressions of Stoke Footwear.

[Owen Comerford]

Well, I mean, first of all, clearly this thing has some major backing, right? You don't launch with that sort of retailer group without some serious dollars behind you. And also its founder, Rick Blackshaw knows shoes. I mean this guy was previously the leader of hey dude. Which you know, he built into almost a billion dollar brand. CCM Hockey, Sperry Keds. So you know, he's been around the block. So I'm not, I wouldn't think of, you know, second guessing the strategy of somebody like that. But that said, I don't know, my problem is whatever, but you can talk about the Bubba slash manosphere brand positioning and I'm sure Dave will get into that. But to me it's the product. If you just took this shoe and I encourage people to go on to stokeshoes.com and just look at the shoe by itself. And if you took that by itself and said, what is this shoe? I think 90% of people say, oh, it's a shoe for a 10 year old boy that's into Buzz Lightyear. I mean it's stubby, so it looks like a child's shoe. It's got a lightning bolt on the side. I'm not kidding, it has a lightning bolt on the side. It looks like a kid's shoe. And so that to me, I think is where it's just, I don't know, it's odd.

[Colin True]

85 bucks price point, very affordable by the way. You're not being insulting objectively, it looks like a children's shoe. I mean, the little features. It has the. Hey, we don't. You don't. You don't need to bend over to put your shoes on. Like big vamp in the back. I mean, like all the sort of Skechers, hey, dudes. Sort of little features and benefits for the everyday American. Before we get into sort of the. The industry piece of it all, Dave, what are your thoughts on Stoke footwear?

[Dave]

Well, until you put this in front of me, I was blissfully unaware of this brand. And now I'm not. And now I cannot unsee it.

[Chris DeMaggs]

It.

[Colin True]

But it gave you the opportunity to make more opinions, which is your favorite.

[Dave]

It did, it did. And look, I hate this in the sense that I am all for brands and products that speak to specific people, that if there is a niche for this, then more power to you. But everything Owen said is right. I mean, stubby is the way you describe this. There's no other word really to describe it. It is a lightning bolt. It does have a superhero kids concept. I kind of likened this. If Gimli son of Gloin had a trainer or a signature trainer, this might be his.

[Colin True]

Or is this the Roy Hobbs signature wonder Boy?

[Dave]

Well, it's definitely wonder shoe, no doubt about it. But I guess for me, it feels. And this may go into the kind of the kids estimate, it feels like it's just trying too hard. Right. And so you're good all these things, even the name, you know, slip the tagline slip on Stoke out, which feels a little bit too close to stroke out. And that might be too on the money for the marketplace, actually.

[Owen Comerford]

Well, they do talk about one of their key features, Dave, is big ball girth.

[Dave]

Big ball girth.

[Colin True]

When are they launching their only fans channel? That's what we need to.

[Dave]

Maybe that's where it came from. But I think that leads into the juvenile feel of this. This kind of manchildy superhero thing. And. But, you know, at the same time, if you'd asked me what I thought about hey, dude, when they were launching that, I would said, there's no way in hell that'll go anywhere. That's also juvenile and kind of silly. And, you know, look what they did. So, yeah, one of my.

[Owen Comerford]

The other features are the mansplay midsole. So basically it's, you know, wider toe box, the pat.

[Dave]

It tells your. It tells your toes how to be not mansplain.

[Owen Comerford]

Mansplay. And then there's the power stack. The most underfoot cushioning I mean this thing is like, has got like 40 plus millimeters of stack height. It is basically a platform sole of a kind.

[Dave]

Well, Ankle Breaker was already taken, I guess as a name.

[Colin True]

So we, look, we are not the customers for this. Like, you know, so we were. No matter what their distribution of this was going to be, we would be probably like not for us. Right. But let's talk for a minute about this, right? Because you mentioned hey dude, that's the brand I thought of the most when I saw it. It reminds me of like a sneaker version of hey dude in that audience. I think what Rick, Rick Blackshaw, you mentioned, the founder, what he started here is a little bit of a blow to those kind of core outdoor purists, right? Because they, they see this brand as the definition of using active heritage to build a brand and product for the non active consumer. And the strategy is basically being validated out of the gate with Shields. That's the real reason we wanted to bring it up on the podcast. You know, it's one of the more respected larger retailers in the outdoor space. The survey we talked about earlier, somebody saying I wish we had a Shields in our town in Portland. So that's one of their launch partners. So Owen, just for a second here, put on your retailer hat, try to take your bias out of it. Obviously I would never expect to see you rocking a pair of Wonder Boy Stoke footwear, silk shoes at a trade show or anything, but if you were at Moose Jaw or another, which was another respected Midwest retail chain, would you have considered being a launch partner for a brand like Stoke?

[Owen Comerford]

No. Yeah. No. So, so deflate. No. Well, a couple of reasons. One is one of the core values of Mistro was only do what's cool. And really. And the subtext that was we only really sell stuff that we ourselves would buy and wear or use.

[Chris DeMaggs]

Right.

[Owen Comerford]

Which is not the case here or I think for certainly not the case for the, the core buyers within Moose Jaw. This would not have been what they wanted to do. Plus the price point really was, is a little bit sub premium in the current world where the average shoe price, unfortunately or fortunately, whichever side of the coin you're on, is north of $125. To bring in a shoe at this price point wouldn't have really made a ton of sense for us.

[Colin True]

But doesn't it sort of a good example that, that this is where the industry's going in a lot of ways? I mean the sea of sameness stuff is real. There's a lot of stuff out there. And a lot of folks who maybe would be a stoke customer are going to a store like a Shields or potentially other outdoor retailers and what they're seeing on the wall. We've talked about this pod a ton that running shoes used to be the kind of every person shoe that people and still is to a certain degree. But you know, $120 used to be an expensive pair of running shoes. Now you'll see that you're like, oh, that's great. And that price keeps going up. So to have a sort of running inspired everyday shoe for 85 bucks, I think you can make the case that that's probably an underserved market. Underserved consumer.

[Owen Comerford]

Yeah, I mean it's like it is kind of hey dude meets Skechers, right? I mean that's basically, you know, that's what this thing is. And I just wonder from a brand perspective, Will, even if it's a great shoe, super comfortable. You know, they talk a lot in their, in their PR about the fact that basically Americans are all overweight and have big fat wide feet is basically what they say.

[Colin True]

That's, that's their position for sure.

[Owen Comerford]

And so, so, so that is, they're basically tapping this, this, this, you know, addressing this, this underserved market. And I think probably all of that is true from, from a marketing perspective. I just wonder if that customer is going to want to be associated at a pure brand level with a brand that basically says we're for fat guys. Right. You know, as, as opposed to, you know, as opposed to, because it's kind of the anti athletic brand to a degree. So it's like, well, do I want to be associated with a brand that is sort of anti athletic or do I still want to pretend as if I may, you know, take off on a trail run on my break, lunch break because I'm wearing a pair of hocus to work.

[Dave]

I, I think the positioning is the most interesting about it. I mean I, I, I buy into that whole like carving a distinction amongst the other runners, the actual market need. I think the price play is also, all of that to me is spot on for me. It's just more about the, the nuance, the subtlety of the branding to create something that is a little more neutral to that point. It doesn't need to be over athleticized and performance. This just feels a little bit too juvenile. And if you were able to merge that, I think you'd have a really strong play. And I don't think you have to. They're talking to the trade audience right now about, you know, not being athletic. If you go to their site, they're speaking in terms of activity and you know, wearing this. So I don't, I don't think that they're going to fall into the idea that people are identifying with I'm inactive and overweight. That's not the, that's not the play. It's just the reality of this is your body. And do these guys really give a crap? I'm not sure they actually do. But I do think they value strength and modernity in that way and I think that would certainly help it. But no, I'm certainly fascinated to see where this thing goes.

[Owen Comerford]

It does speak to the manosphere to me in the branding, in all of the terminology. There's kind of an America first aspect to this, which I think it actually says proudly American. Yeah, yeah. Designed in the US designed in the usa. Made for the men who built it.

[Colin True]

Oh they have the well known. The founding fathers all wore Stoke footwear. That's a common everyone. I learned that in school.

[Owen Comerford]

Okay. Yes.

[Colin True]

Guys, what do you think the, the next the athlete team is going to be for Stoke footwear? You know, are we gonna, they gonna pair up with outdoor research in their, in their glove team or.

[Dave]

I so want to see that.

[Colin True]

I do think product wise they, they do need to. The stubby thing, the little kid looking shoe is like, it's not a good look. So if I'm going to be. That's just me objectively looking at. I'm like, it looks like you're wearing little kid shoes. So I don't know if that's going to play over well to dudes with big feet. They're going to be like, I don't know about that. So if you get bigger.

[Dave]

Well, see, I think that's where it can be minimizing. I think that that could actually work. And you know, like we said the athlete team, it's like Thorne's company in the Hobbit. Right. I mean it's just going to be a bunch of, of stout, strong dudes wearing Buzz Lightyear shoes.

[Colin True]

Now we're combining franchises. I won't stand for that. I mean it is, I think it's a. Who knows if this works or not, but somebody recognizing the, the larger stuff that we talk about the PO will.

[Dave]

Be a billion dollar look. You know, it's really what it is. And I just now thought of it. It's almost in a sense of, of premium Walmart positioning. You know, for so long like with Walmart with their shoes. You couldn't pass like the $15 barrier. Right. I mean it was just when we went, when I was part of the, the, the downing of and one when they were being sold and sold into Walmart and bringing them up to 25, $20 was a huge deal. It was the first shoe to break that price barrier. And now they've kind of of all moved a little bit in some of their, their, their kind of like a vias in there, some of their other products. So this in a sense kind of feels like we're going at that customer with a product. But 80 but now is just kind of, that still, still feels valuable. Like I'm paying, I'm paying some dollars but like we say it's in no way relatable to the actual running shoe prices.

[Colin True]

That's, that's interesting. That's kind of summarizes the shift here. Right? Because if we had seen this, if we had any of us been walking at Costco or Walmart and saw the shoe, we'd be like, we wouldn't have batted an eye and would on by. Right. Even at 80 bucks, probably be like, okay, yeah, right. But if you were shopping in a Shields and you're passing a lot of the brands that we talk about in this podcast and then boom, there's the wonder boy lightning bolt, you know, Stoke footwear shoe for 80 bucks. There's a little WTF that kind of crawls into your head, you know. So it's interesting that there that Shields is on board with it.

[Dave]

So do you remember the retailer mvp?

[Colin True]

Of course.

[Dave]

Yeah, yeah, right. They had all of that. And so I'm going to go back to the same time and this was the time of Kobe and Kobe's initial shoes and I forgot what number it was. But the Kobe Adidas shoe that was square and looked like a toaster, like it was just a squared off shoe, walked into one of those MVP which is already kind of just like, you know, free for all kind of anything. There were bins filled with that damn shoe without boxes. Just shoes of them full like 8 to 10 $49.99. That's right. Just. And it was just all these square shoes. And that for me has for been forever connected to MVP and just massive silos of unsold square shoes.

[Colin True]

And that might be the what, what happens here. But I think, you know, I think it's telling. Shield's taking a shot at this, so.

[Dave]

Yeah, it is. No, no doubt about it.

[Colin True]

All right.

[Owen Comerford]

I think it's interesting the the reviews that they feature on their homepage. So these are handpicked. I'm a bigger guy. It's about time a shoe company focuses on people who aren't ultra athletic. I'm built like a brick.

[Chris DeMaggs]

Shit.

[Dave]

Hand picked. Do you. Do you mean. Do you mean pre written? Is that what you mean by hand?

[Owen Comerford]

I don't know. I am. I am built like a brick shithouse. Stoke is literally made for men like me.

[Colin True]

This is like one of us. Like, you know, me writing in a review of the Rock Fight. Like, boy, the Rock Fight is a really great podcast. Really well produced and written and hosted.

[Dave]

That's right. That Colin has great enunciation.

[Owen Comerford]

So great. Like, yes, I am an average guy that needs a great shoe at a decent price. Said nobody ever.

[Colin True]

Yeah, said Chat GPT.

[Dave]

Yes. Oh, my gosh.

[Colin True]

Oh, boy. All right, well, good luck to you, Stoke Footwear. We'll see how this plays out 100% when we're all begging you for ad dollars. In 12 months, we'll.

[Dave]

That's right. That's right.

[Owen Comerford]

Yep.

[Colin True]

All right, time for the parting shot. And this episode is out on Monday, January 19, and this Friday, January 23, acclaimed rock climber Alex Honnold will be free soloing a skyscraper live on Netflix in an event called Skyscraper Live. Really workshop that title. Good job, guys. I don't know about you guys. I'm definitely going to be watching this, I think, and I'm sure that there's a really strong chance that Alex will be fine. And all of next week will be filled with press releases and substack posts and stories on Gear Junkie and outside about the spectacle of the event and how inspiring it was and blah, blah, blah. And my parting shot isn't for the feat itself, but in the way it's being promoted, which I think is being is done in pretty poor taste. So the magic of Free Solo, right, The film, the Oscar winning film that Alex was in was that it was produced as a film and uniquely outdoor. And despite the fact that we knew Alex didn't die while free soloing El Cap because he was out doing press for the film, it was impossible not to be sucked in by the stakes of his climb and believe that perhaps the outcome wasn't already determined, that's kind of how you felt when you're watching the movie. Now this one's happening live, so if shit goes sideways, we'll get to join the Bud Dwyer All Stars of watching someone die live on television. Only in this case, we'll have chosen to watch it happen. And that possibility is basically how this thing is being marketed. In the trailer, we hear Alex talk about the inherent risk of in free soloing, that he can't plan everything, and that if something bad happens, he's going to die. That's what his he says in the trailer. And that's after we see footage of his little kid running around in interviews with his wife. And I know that's all being done to promote the special. And it's working just like Frank. Frank Cross's violin promo for Scrooge work. Because I'll be one of the millions who'll be sitting on their couch watching this unfolding. And do I have a problem with Alex reselling a building? Not at all. If he truly has had a lifelong dream of climbing a building building, like he says in the trailer, then have at it. But using the very real possibility of his demise to market the live broadcast of his climb. After pulling my parenting and family heartstrings doesn't feel very good. So best of luck. Alex Honnold. Like I said, I'm sure you're confident in the probability of your success is high, but the trailer for the special just made me feel gross. And that's my parting shot.

[Owen Comerford]

Okay, I. I agree. It's right. Because that's what they're. They're selling that. That Looky Lou, you know, sort of hard in your throat type of. Because it's live and you don't know what's going to happen. You don't know that he's going to make it up this, this sky if.

[Colin True]

He'S done it already and we knew he was alive. I'm on board with that. Right. Like, I'll see what happened. But it's like.

[Dave]

To your point, it's all Looky Lou. I mean, free solo. You had Jimmy Chin, you had Elizabeth. What was it? Shaivar Dashiell. Like, it's an Oscar winning documentary. It was a gorgeously made story. Again, even if you didn't know, I mean, there are a lot of people that probably watched it and didn't feel.

[Colin True]

You're right.

[Dave]

Right. And it's just. It's a compelling. This feels like. It feels like Fox. Like, you know what I mean? It just. It feels like Fox. It feels like the 90s kind of thing.

[Owen Comerford]

This is gonna date myself dramatically here, but it feels like Evel Knievel going to jump the Grand Canyon kind of stuff. Right, Right. It's just tune in because you might see someone die. You might see someone die. Exactly. That. That's. That's the feeling that you get here.

[Colin True]

I, I don't know how you market this. I, you know, in a less gross way. I really don't like that. You see again, the shot of the kid running around and then there's, you know, his wife talking to the camera. And if you've seen Free Solo, like you recognize all of it. I. It's just doesn't feel good and like. And I, And I wonder, you know, I'm not even going to speculate if the bad thing happens, but it's just like, it just doesn't feel good. So.

[Dave]

Okay, so what's the over under on the insurance policy?

[Colin True]

Because Netflix.

[Dave]

Is this a Lloyd's of London type thing? Like, you know, there's gotta dabble in insurance?

[Colin True]

I don't think.

[Dave]

Are you sure? Are you sure he's covered? Caitlin Clark, Right? No doubt.

[Colin True]

It's a good question. I mean, they have Netflix money, you know, and they're trying to buy Warner Brothers right now. So they've got. I'm sure they could probably pull. If anybody could pull it off, they could.

[Owen Comerford]

Could.

[Colin True]

But.

[Dave]

Yeah, I'm with you, Colin. I agree.

[Colin True]

Yeah. Thanks, guys.

[Owen Comerford]

Fingers crossed. Fingers crossed for.

[Colin True]

I mean, are you. Well, actually, are you guys going to watch? Because I'm definitely going to watch.

[Owen Comerford]

I don't think so.

[Dave]

No, I will not.

[Colin True]

You don't think so?

[Dave]

No, no, I actually now I'm going to be scouting for stoked shoes in terms of rewatching the entire Lord of the Rings franchise. Looking for characters that could fit.

[Colin True]

Maybe that's the sponsor that Honnold needs for this adventure is stoked, footwear, you know. Oh, that's easy on and off.

[Owen Comerford]

It's stoked. Not stoked, by the way, just to be clear.

[Colin True]

Excuse me, sorry.

[Owen Comerford]

I'll dare.

[Chris DeMaggs]

I.

[Dave]

Good point.

[Colin True]

All right, that's the show. Send your emails in myrockfightmail.com, the Rock Fight's a production of Rock Fight LLC. Today's episode produced by producer Dave with art direction provided by Sarah Gens. Concert for Owen Comerford. I'm Colin True. Thank you for listening. And here to take us out is Chris DeMaggs with the Rock Fight Fight song. See you next time, Rock fighters.

[Dave]

Boom.

[Chris DeMaggs]

Rock Fight. Rock Fight. Rock Fight. Rock Fight. Rock Fight. Rock Fight. Welcome to the Rock Fight where we speak our truth, slay sacred cows and sometimes agree to disagree. We talk about human powered outdoor activities and pig bites. About topics that we find interesting like pop culture, music, the latest movie reviews, ideas that aim for the head. This is where we speak our truth. This is where we speak our truth. Rock fight. Rock fight. Rock fight. Welcome to the Rock side. Rock fight. Rock fight. Welcome to the Rock flight. Rock flight. Rock fight. Rock flight. Rock fight. Rock fight. Welcome to the Rock fight. Rock fight. Rock fight. Rock fight. Rock fight.