Gravis Skate Shoes Are Back—In Japan
The stylish brand that once boasted teamriders Dylan Rieder and Arto Saari, that Burton pulled the plug on back in 2016, is—alive again? That's right. Over in Japan. VHS Mag has the 411 by way of an interview with Kenya Okuna, aka Okken, who's the new rider and team manager. Read the interview here.
VHS Mag asks, "What made you decide to revive GRAVIS? You’re one of the OG members of the Japan team."
Okken: "Yes. I always thought it was a shame to lose a skate team for a brand with such a fascinating history. It's not like I was the only one to revive the brand, but the timing was perfect: ABC-MART took over the license from Burton to sell the GRAVIS sneaker line, and they were talking about the need to focus on the culture side. We were about to make a move and when I made a presentation and they agreed. It was like a miracle happened in terms of timing."
Okken also recounts hanging with Dylan in Japan and shooting with OG Gravis TM Ryan Allan in the States, "Yeah, (Dylan) was wild both at the park and hotel. Wild (laughs). I had just joined the Japan team, but I was happy to be able to join the tour at that time. Later, when the US GRAVIS folded and I was working with the Japan team, Shota Yamazaki and I went to LA for a photo shoot and had Ryan Allan (former GRAVIS photographer) take photos of us. Those experiences are great memories for me now. He hadn’t prepared at all, and the photos were so cool. I didn't realize how different the photographers were in the US and Japan."
The article is a couple months old now, looks like the shoes dropped in April of this year. Wonder if they'll ever remake the Dylan slip on?
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of skateboarding.
We're always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging skate-related videos to feature on our channels. Whether you're a professional or just having fun, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on skateboarding.com and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more quality skate content.
