Los Angeles' Sneaker Rise in Skateboarding Culture | Sole Origins

Professional skateboarders, Eric Koston and Paul Rodriguez breakdown the history of skate and sneaker culture. Plus, find out how iconic street wear brands including Diamonds, Undefeated and Hundreds make their mark in the footwear industry.
Sole Origins is Complex's newest docu-series that will uncover the untold stories of the most elusive sneakers from NYC, Tokyo, Paris and Los Angeles. Interviews with Joe La Puma, Clark Kent, Ugly Mely, Hirofumi Kojima and Eric Koston.
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COMPLEX is a community of creators and curators, armed with the Internet, committed to surfacing and sharing the voices and conversations that define our new America. Our videos exemplify convergence culture, exploring topics that include music, sneakers, style, sports and pop culture through original shows and Complex News segments. Featuring your favorite celebrities, authoritative commentary, and a unique voice, our videos make culture pop.

[@blindeyesurgeon6576]

Damn complex really pushing these out on the daily. they know they're on to something with this series

[@littlebill3419]

ender wiggens the more views the more $

[@acthoundentertainment]

Educating kids on how to be brand oriented pieces of shit. I can dig it.

[@SilverWealth_Draper_Mint]

Yes, they have a nation of customers asleep at the wheel... Go buy what they are buying.... Vintage Silver Bars is where it’s at... Stack Money, Not Fashion

[@timmerslee1452]

Love this series! Thank you Complex!

[@sennsir]

Dunks will live on forever! The balenciaga sock shoes though...hella hyped 😂💀🔜

[@ArmandBaclay]

This is a dope piece putting skateboarding as a elevating and progressing origins of sneaks , rad

[@Flimflamed]

I remember being cynical when the SB came out. Seeing Nike get into skate shoes just seemed like a cash grab. So the reverence and heart-tugging music of this is a little weird when we are essentially talking about a huge conglomerate infiltrating a grassroots subculture. That said, I really do enjoy these documentaries, so very well made.

[@Thor-Orion]

Correct. Some dude is on half the comments talking about how only shoes that people wait in line for days matter. What a fucking tool. Hype beasts are repulsive.

[@luigis0799]

The New Yorker's says that the Staple Pigeon dunk started the game while Cali people says that the Tiffany dunk started it. So Which is it?

[@JamalW239]

I think they mean in their states. I would've thought Converse started it in Cali...

[@luigis0799]

How can you say LA skateboarding without ever mentioning Vans, DC, Etnies, Emerica, Element, and etc. Hypebeast ruined skateboarding imo.

[@faunaflage]

Bang on. It's clear that Nike paid for this whole series.

[@TheStomendy]

@@faunaflage nike is trying too hard to make nike sb a trend lol it always works look at what they did to the cortez, a few older air max models and air force 1s

[@FlavorJack]

It's not for the culture but for Nike's money. Anyway, still a good content, Nike's perspective of the whole scene

[@CiaSkate]

This is more of a sneaker doc than skate doc. People weren’t rlly camping out for es, emericas or fallen

[@scottchavan1424]

I’m just confused on why they are acting like supreme is a LA or dunk. Those both got big in NY.

[@atomiccitysloth8362]

This kind of feels like really great marketing disguised as really great content. All but two of the featured shoes in the series have been made by Nike or Converse (a company owned by Nike)

[@Aznimperialx]

definitely, the same in the other videos; all showcasing Nike.

[@Thor-Orion]

@@Aznimperialx yeah, he said the series as a whole.

[@Hopahola]

Everyone skated in DC's & Etnies in the 90s, what are they talking about?

[@k.johnson2722]

Mike Souza im assuming they’re talking ab what they skated in

[@12w0]

Everyone? EVERYONE?

[@TrueblueDC4L-G59]

You remember those soap shoes where you could grind your shoes on anything and slide down a staircase hand rail?! I used to have those

[@cleonicepires3585]

Mike Souza ll

[@acthoundentertainment]

All this series is, is one big fucking Nike ad and for some reason nobody sees this.

[@joshthegringo]

This is dope, don't get me wrong. Love seeing the connection between skate and mainstream culture. But honestly, it seems like every well-made doc that comes out lately is all about Nike SB, Supreme, Hypebeast culture and that's labeled as "skate culture"....in reality though the bulk of skateboarders are still going to identify with brands like Emerica, Etnies, DC, Lakai, Globe, Fallen, éS, DVS.....and no one is really doing anything to document the impact of those brands....brands that in reality had a huge impact on popular culture in the 2000s (when skateboarding became "cool").

[@julianreed7]

You're correct, but it's going to take documentary filmmakers with skate first (rather than sneaker culture first) roots to do that documentary. Would love to see it though. Those brands you mentioned definitely haven't gotten their due, even though Nike and bigger brands used their innovation as the test bed for what's now a huge business.

[@blakev6943]

Supreme is skate culture they are still a skate company at heart but yea i saw more dc, vans and chucks around me until the janoski came out those things are such a good balance of style and functionality but suede vans 106’s are still my favorites

[@s_u_l_f_u_r]

Damn... RIP Fallen. Loved my pair of Slash Rainbow.

[@brockalbert5111]

This is about SNEAKERS!! It's about skating's influence on *sneaker* *culture,* it's not about the best shoes for skating. Sorry, but nobody is standing in line for 2 days and spending $2K on a pair of Etnies or DC's. Who collects Lakai's?? Make your own documentary if you wanna show those shoes.

[@nickmarchionda4345]

What is going on is people look a the streetwear culture but don’t look at the skate sub culture beyond the universially known supreme nike dunks .

[@92kartelzbak]

sb ??? lol airwalk, vans, emerica, osiris, etnies etc

[@gibsonraffiel]

"checks over stripes dats what I like"- Complex

[@ThompterSHunson]

This is a Nike SB ad or what? Even me, from distant Greece, knows that Vans, Etnies, and DC were always prominent in the LA skate scene. wtf

[@BayDynasties]

The Origin Of The Hypebeast : Nike SB

[@joelkelly1192]

Great content but why just Nike sb?!?! They have taken so much away from quality skateboarder owned skate shoe companies. Just glorifying the fact they just overpowered the whole industry really

[@skatekong58911]

it's shitty but nike has done a lot for skateboarding like turning the West LA courthouse into a skatepark

[@flower-zz3lx]

I skate in vans 😂

[@awesome1111ful]

You always need multiple sources to learn about something. Happy to see people point out the things missing in the video biased towards Nike. Helps someone like me who is trying to learn about the histories of these various cultures.

[@cerebralwander_421]

Dear Complex, Thank you.

[@SneakerHeadInTheBay]

This was maaaad dope!

[@chrislogemann5885]

Why do they always use that deep, inspiring piano music when it's literally just Koston and a bunch of dude saying less than profound shit about hyped sneakers?

[@xovix9757]

Love this. Hopefully London coming soon!

[@NoScopeRick]

Its not the same with the internet anymore. Its harder with these bots. I liked word of mouth and hanging out at the block to get the scoop.

[@censoredbaggah4447]

This video makes it sound like that skaters were using whatever they could for shoes and all wearing Jordans until Nike SB came along... eS, Osiris, Vans etc were all pumping out iconic shoes like the Accels, Half Cabs and D3s. Eric Koston himself even had the eS Koston 3s that was an homage to the old Jordan days that were sold for like $180 in 2000!

[@IISourAyyII]

Damn, this is turning out to be a really amazing series

[@WolfWould]

This is a great Series! Sk8 or DiE. Please do past skate shoe companies., Vita,Dill shoe,IPath etc..

[@reshodlaing2984]

Ur gay

[@MrUpper-ot4ji]

@@reshodlaing2984 no u

[@alexphillips7544]

I want to see the Jordan mars yards they looked amazing even blurred out! Great work. These shows are absolute eye candy for sneaker heads!!

[@franciscorp2748]

To broke to be a collecter hahahahaa i love these shoes tho i would be the type to wear them out never resell or anything like that shoes are meant to be worn.

[@ibbs104]

It’d be cool if you did one in London

[@time2ballup566]

These just keep getting better and better! Loving the content!

[@Spacesprocketz]

For this series to only ne 20 mins it puts Everyday Struggle to shame

[@dan3069]

Yup complex is definitely getting paid to bring back the sb

[@p4petualang]

This series should called "Nike - Sole Origins" lol

[@jujharbling265]

complex pushing some great content

[@evgeniasenov9470]

Called it on the last video,lol.Very well-made episode yet again,London is next?

[@reeldeal2149]

2 pair $25 bucks? Smh I was born '94 I missed that wave

[@jaygatling1977]

He Lied Fam!

[@calibomber209]

My fave dunk hi are de la soul, mf doom, wheat bison, tweed, peewee Herman! So many dope sb dunks

[@spellTHEman]

calibomber209 Skunk 4/20s also, Slayer Reign in Blood, so many good ones but the Tweeds are super dope good call

[@jaygatling1977]

At 3:36 I knew right then this documentary was going to be full of shit. When and were could you buy Air Jordan's for $25.00?? FOH. Let me hear more lies.

[@damiendaes7940]

Crazy how none of these dudes that run these company’s don’t have there own shoes . If I worked for undefeated at a high level I would of had 10 pairs of those at least

[@702SinSuper]

I'm 42 and you could never get Jordan 1s for 25 dallors much less 2 pair...

[@juanochoa1708]

FIST FULL'A FEDI PRODUCTIONS they retailed for $60 US Dollars here in the US back in 1985. I think I read an article online where it said that you could buy pairs at outlets for $30 or $25 dollars?

[@702SinSuper]

@@juanochoa1708 outlets wasn't around till late 90's by then the shoe craze had already been started. Never ever have I seen them for 25 bucks.

[@ryanporter7400]

I'm 45 and I can tell you from my point of view, after the the Jordan 3's came out, only the skate kids kept the 1's alive. Nobody was rocking the 1's anymore so you could cop, on the cheap then. Remember, back in those days, there was no retro market yet. Those were the days, white kids weren't down then, you could go to spots and find dead stock jewels on the low low. I once found a pair of Georgetown Hoya Destroyers for like $55 and you could argue the price down in those days. When white folk get hip, here comes INFLATION, and they come in packs changing shit overnight.

[@702SinSuper]

@@ryanporter7400 I understand finding jewels at old sporting goods stores and all but this guy made it sound like they we're readily available for that price.

[@3d1k3]

I think 2 for $25 was hyperbolic language to convey that you could get J's for cheap at one point. I remember catching certain sneakers for $20 in the mid 2000's that by today's sneaker culture would never be sold for less than a bill. Let's not forget, plenty of Adidas were hitting outlets and sales racks 8 years ago.

[@leogutkowski3917]

So much OG truth in this video. The fuckboy-hypebeasts of today really have no idea what's up...

[@G-silicone]

Just makes me want to buy more!

[@KenGutierrez01]

I’m a bit of p Rod when he skates the SB Dunks. I didn’t care about the resale, I saw a good skate shoe and I skate that shit

[@jl4224]

back in the day when you buy a pair of sneakers and wear them. now, you buy a pair and its so expensive, you keep it in the box

[@deathwishchrisreilly5194]

Your dream was to get a board and a shoe? I guess there's those that skate to be seen! An those that skate like no one's watching!

[@cryptotrapper876]

SB did not start the sneaker culture it made it go mainstream out from the underground. That's only because Jordan Brand started selling the 2 sneakers in the box set for $350, and you really only wanted 1 sneaker out of the pack. There where a lot of air max's and air force 1's around this time the Nike Basket Ball campaign was running hard this was the beginning of Nike House of Hoops.

[@TheLocalsOnlyPodcast]

Love how contrasted this episode was with the Paris one. The Paris episode was more about Paris and jerking itself off with "fashion" and how it's so different when really it had little to do with shoes. Then there's this episode where it's the polar opposite. They talked more about the shoes, the collabs, the ideas, the history than the city. In fact, I don't think they said LA more than 6 times in the video. In the Paris video, Paris was said probably 20 times. Everyone spoke about that moment in time when things changed. They said without the Nike SB sneaker culture wouldn't have exploded the way it did recently. The Paris episode was a huge stretch of people saying "Paris" and "Fashion" with no substance. In fact I'd say it was more about how Paris was associating fashion with sneakers instead of the city influencing the sneakers. I see why that's important? but it was boring and drawn out. Then there's the great comparison to the New York episode. In LA, they skated and talked about shoes. In New York they skated and beat the shit out of each other for shoes.

[@augustinfigueroa8443]

Sixty-to -zero c nu

[@joelaguilar44]

Sixty-to -zero

[@WelSpentBeats]

sneaker culture started with the sb? lmfao cmon man. i get what they tryna say but naaaaa. nike dunks, air force, maxs were being collected before they ever made an sb

[@meee175]

I am lucky enough to have 2 pairs of the lows and 1 pair of the highs. I get more compliments on the lows than any other shoe I own (300+ pairs). Absolutely legendary pair and brand.

[@AlexanderRichardson218]

Lol keep them clean and never let them go

[@Heidenhaunting88]

Nike dunks (low) would forever be my number 1 shoe! Classic... 💙💙💙

[@spellTHEman]

Heidenhaunting88 timeless. The first sneaker I ever collected. They’re making a comeback these days tho I think

[@vancralcharles7209]

🇭🇹HAITI is watching now respect L.A so I love to wear Sneakers ❤

[@8thgen583]

I want the SB hype to come back. I have so many in my garage collecting dust I want to sell.

[@braysipley6980]

Bagged8thGen which one’s?

[@ortizdaniel3410]

Yea what size are you ?

[@ToeFuuClips]

Me too. I got De la Soul lows (2015) and Metal box 2013 Ugly Sweaters Im trying to move.

[@kylebyrne4911]

Size 10.5 or there abouts? ;)

[@ToeFuuClips]

@@kylebyrne4911 De La Souls are a 10 :) I also have some corks in 10.5 and a Vintange dunk (Ny Ren's) in 11.

[@Kastlino]

what about like etnies, vans, DC smh bruh

[@Breit1992]

i really enjoy this series

[@petepete9831]

I skated my Tiffany’s lol oh well

[@spellTHEman]

Pete & Pete lol I skated my Reese Forbes Denims. Oh well. We looked fly as hell beating those classics up back in the day

[@meee175]

This was amazing. Good job guys.

[@younglobwedge]

2 pairs of AJ1 for 25. Gawddayum

[@8thgen583]

Remember when Eric Koston was on Es? lol

[@antonstefanov2146]

eS accelerate is a great shoe imo

[@dougbull2816]

i miss airwalkers thats what we wore and vans

[@josephmedina635]

This series was needed. Now the people won't forget where/how our culture started.

[@guilrito8127]

Joseph Medina is just a bunch of shoes except they added the dramatic music. At the and of the day it’s a bunch of billionaire brands getting rich from people in the developed world and stealing from those in the developing world

[@josephmedina635]

Guillermo Robles You clearly weren’t into shoes during that time so you cannot connect with the subculture. While we type on our developing country made keyboards I suggest you watch the video and see what it was like for us during that time. If you choose to not relate then I suggest you find a hobby.

[@alcam4226]

Which shoes is P-Rod rocking during the interview? Black with white swoosh! 🔥🔥🔥

[@AnasAhmadKhan]

A great nike commercial 🔥

[@sbwollman]

An LA resident since 1989 and sneaker enthusiast since 1996 having purchased many pairs from all 3 UNDFTD locations (special shoutout to Alex and the SM store on Main), this episode strongly resonates and strikes a personal chord with me. It's The Shoes was a landmark series by ESPN back in 05/06 as it echoed and portrayed the stories behind the sneakers; however, this series has upped the ante even more. I remember walking into UNDFTD SM, meeting Alex aka #Bruzzus - when he used to skate in his 2001 Retro 3 black/cement - and bought close to 10 Jordan IV raffle shirts in hopes of winning a coveted pair, a dream that like winning the Lotto, went unfilled. Every now and then, I'll stop by the boutique on Main Street and be in awe of the history of the store, the iconic moments that were affiliated with the brand, and the people like Alex and others who made it happen. Another beautiful, well made video, my personal favorite so far of this series, an absolutely amazing series by Complex who got it right. Teach them all. #ogsupportgroup #sneakerpreservationsociety #UNDFTD #UNDTFDSM #Bruzzus

[@prush1]

Brought to you by Nike.

[@TreyyDaMenaceFan]

Sponsored by NIKE

[@jackstevenson4232]

Do London, loving the series

[@diogocoelho293]

too much about nike

[@jaimemoralesjr8425]

True..I've been a Sneaker head for a Minute and got to admit Etnies,DvS and other Skate shoes made an Impact in the Sneaker Culture..

[@smileprettymusic]

Sorry when I was a teenager I remember desperately wanting element or DC shoes not Nikes

[@armando1611]

Isaiah De Simone I remember as a kid thinking element was the coolest brand

[@smileprettymusic]

armando I also liked etnies, do you remember those?

[@armando1611]

Isaiah De Simone yeah I remember my older cousins being heavy into those and emericas

[@3serio]

if it wasnt for skateboarding......they're called dunks...because of basketball. The sneaker hype started with basketball, then expanded with skateboarding.

[@meta4464]

Starting this interview with Dom 👏🏽 BP4LIFE

[@levi1475]

This series deserves way more views

[@wnegrini]

amazing editing and soundtrack!!! Well done!

[@jregulatori4672]

Not one mention of Puma Clyde/suede? That was the quintessential early 90's skate shoe. Fat white laces, purple Blind pants, etc.. I didn't know of anyone skating with Nike...that was like the "jock" shoe.

[@illestone956]

How are they gonna show the Mr. Cartoon forces and not have Mr.Cartoon talk about a shoe that literally depicts LA.

[@ekjuan123]

Best one of the series right here ! 👏

[@fattygamer94]

Reading thorugh some of the comments, it seems that many people are confusing this video as mostly just a skateboarding shoe culture video. This series is about shoe culture in general and Nike/Jordan have been at the forefront front of it. This video is a quick glimpse as how skateboard culture has affected sneaker culture and vise versa. Some brands that were skating brands, because of Nike and the culture, have transcended skating. Look at Supreme or Babe. How many people buy their products and know their origins? Skate culture has helped change shoes styles which has affected fashion trends. It's awesome seeing how street, skateboarding, hip-hop, fashion, and cultures have all inspired and morphed each other into what they are and will become.

[@clarkloeffler8130]

The wrong kick biologically injure because dollar serendipitously joke underneath a woebegone armchair. unknown, freezing cod

[@ZamanskyV]

Nike is cool and I'll always love the whole phenomenon, but so many brands of sneakers are present in everyday life... when they show these sneaker shopping videos and stuff there's always Jordans, Nikes, and sometimes Adidas. But people come on, it's so uninteresting...

[@lucaschen8164]

The uninterested computer successfully mend because pastor pathohistologically tick toward a witty acoustic. gifted, domineering scarecrow

[@socalrocks9082]

I have some Nike Paul Rodriguez with a poncho color. The swoosh is a poncho color as well as part of the tongue. If anyone has info let me know. I can’t find it on amazon or google. I’m just curious to the value of these bad boys. They look dope.

[@JayDC1988]

Fuck dat noise P.rod.....i always want to be like mj but with skateboards..shitttt....because ur sponsored by nike thats why....

[@mk905]

Absolutely love this shit!

[@Sullycs2]

Dunks on dunks on dunks. The cigar city dunk is what got me started. And ever since that day in 8th grade ive been a dunk head. My end life goal is to own at least of pair of every dunk ever made.

[@juanorozco9811]

I did notice this pretty much turned into a Nike ad . Their was other other shoes that were part of the skate culture and SB's are pretty much are DC's but because their NIKE people choose them instead they both look good anyways .

[@bimorahmantyo3756]

fuck this. how they be talking about nike sb dunk without mentioning the nike x alphanumeric dunk pro b? that shoes was like the one who started dunk craze and from there Nike started to launch the SB brand/line.

[@crypttonite]

Nicky Diamond, you were making nuts & bolts were you? You mean ordering them and slapping a your brand name on them.

[@BIGDO13]

LOL, that man Nicky Diamonds was like fuck paying $1800 for some of my own shoes!!

[@malakaibrown94]

I'm better off buying the muska2000s when supra releases them sucks they aren't a skate shoe but it's close to having a pair of his circas now because I never had a chance to get them

[@pf887]

the vids are cool but the music sucks. you should have some cool music from that era playing ;) i feel like im watching interstellar or some shit.

[@leoux7707]

The nutritious internet operationally nest because squash separately communicate minus a boiling coin. ruthless, noisy view

[@arunashamal]

Is this sponsored by Nike? because when it comes to skateboarding I can think of half a dozen influential skate shoes than nike off the top of my head!

[@dachief2018]

How can you do LA sneakers without Chucks, Vans or Cortez??!!?? Nahhhhh

[@leonardtakavengwa4947]

DEAR COMPLEX Uve made my Quarantine worth the while

[@leonardtakavengwa4947]

DEAR COMPLEX Uve made my Quarantine worth the while

[@leonardtakavengwa4947]

DEAR COMPLEX Uve made my Quarantine worth the while

[@desireej4864]

Truthfully a lot of high end fashion came from Black Culture

[@filipsvacha]

It is well made Nike ad. Sorry, but it is stupid to trying to make it look like a history document about skate culture.

[@kilofoshizzle3291]

Nike had nothing to do with the rise of skateboarding, only piggy backed off the culture

[@m.hm.h2655]

love this series

[@juniordominguez5452]

I used love Nikes but not any more the buttom part is so cheap. the only good shoes are made in Indonesia.