Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the skateboard dress code was largely defined by an excessive use of material: massive baggie pants sat heavily atop equally massive sneakers, and extra-large jerseys covered wimpy torsos. This sartorial battle of materials was contrasted by ridiculously small wheels beneath toothpick-sized 7 ½ inches decks – a trend which, for skateboarders in Germany at least, where large stretches of pristine concrete are few and far between, more often than not resulted in comically exaggerated slams caused by cracked pavement. Yet, looking like a tumbling sack of potatoes didn’t stop us from adhering to this dress code; a code which, for all intents and purposes, was exemplified by one of the most revered skateboarders of the time: Josh Kalis. The Michigan-born Love Park local had risen to fame in the years prior to the new Millennium, thanks to stand-out performances in videos like Transworld’s The Sixth Sense, and was on his way to become a “certified legend” by the time Alien Workshop’s Photosynthesis hit the market. To many skateboarders, Josh Kalis epitomized street skateboarding, and we all wanted to look and skate like him. To this day, Kalis remains one of the pivotal figures in street skateboarding, and there is no doubt that his style influenced a whole generation of young skateboarders in the early noughties. Thanks to Kalis’ first pro model on DC, bulky sneakers became insanely popular – and now, DC Shoes is bringing back the Kalis OG for new audiences (and old ones, too). A shoe this big is bound to be cushy, and thanks to DC’s updated technology, it performs great in terms of skateboarding, too. Shoes the size of the Kalis OG are virtually indestructible, so if you’re in the game for longevity, look no further. The Kalis OG comes in the original colorway, as well: a white and grey upper sits atop an accentuated gum sole. You can buy the Kalis OG from Saturday May 4th at our web shop and at our store in Frankfurt.
