Today, the term „skate plaza“ usually refers to skateparks designed to mimic urban environments. More often than not, these plazas feature obstacles inspired by real-life spots, such as the China bank which is modeled after the eponymous spot in San Francisco. The appeal of replicating actual street spots in a sanctioned space is obvious: for city planners, building designated skateboarding areas that feature street spots is a failsafe method to lure skaters away from the real shit. This is one reason why the design of skateparks has evolved from the cookie-cutter positioning of quarters and funboxes to more natural courses. However, there was a time when plaza skateboarding meant just that: skating plazas in the downtown areas of big cities, turning them into inofficial skate parks. Two of the most prominent proponents of plaza skating are Josh Kalis and Stevie Williams. In fact, both are so deeply rooted in Philly’s now-defunct Love Park that it’s impossible to think of the iconic plaza without also thinking about Kalis and Williams. Back in the early 2000s, the DC Shoes pros were practically living at Love Park. Filming countless lines and tricks, Kalis and Williams turned what was considered a no go area at the time into one of the most lively plazas on the East Coast. Of course, Love Park went the way of the Dodo. Its legacy, however, lives on: in memoriam, DC Shoes releases the Kalis OG and Williams OG in its original colorways. Both shoes were practically omnipresent in Love Park footage from the early 2000s; and now, they’re back. You can buy both the Kalis OG and Williams OG from the DC Shoes Love Park Pack at our web shop and our store in Frankfurt on Saturday November 30th.
