Sanuk's Chiba Quest. Image via Sanuk's Instagram.
Sanuk Parties for its Chapter 2
Footwear line Sanuk is scheduled to deliver its first apparel line mid-March.
But the Santa Barbara, Calif.-area label rolled into Los Angeles Feb. 27 for a party for its Chiba Quest shoes. Sanuk designers and friends took over El Compadre restaurant, a faux dive restaurant (gotta love those velvet paintings!) on Sunset Boulevard. It’s across the street from Guitar Center, a shrine for Hollywood rock ‘n’ rollers.
“This is chapter two of the Sanuk saga,” said Magnus Wedhammar, Sanuk’s general manager, who in a previous life played professional basketball for a team in Västerås, Sweden. The label is taking its foundation of irreverent humor and comfortable flip flops, and is looking to innovate its products and designs.
For the Chiba Quest, Sanuk took inspiration from its Sidewalk Surfer shoe. The brand’s designers added a sole which provides more cushion and traction, yet still keeps the Sidewalk Surfer’s lightweight feeling, Wedhammar said. The sneaker comes in Mexican sarape style blanket patterns featuring a gray-and-black knit and a multi-colored style, as well as assorted solid color styles.
