Kicks From Classic Sneakers
By Eddy Haus
Co-founder Kicks/HI
I grew up in Hawaii, but knew I wanted to venture out and travel after high school. I went to college in the South, and also made my way to New York and San Francisco. When I came home, I knew I was a local boy at heart and that I wanted to start my own company based around products and merchandise my friends and I enjoyed.
In 1999 my partner Ian Ginoza and I created the concept for Kicks/HI, noticing there really wasn’t a store that specialized in classic and lifestyle sneakers and apparel. Instead of trying to be like New York or Los Angeles, we stuck with what Hawaii is to us – that beach, barbecue, chill atmosphere. Surprisingly enough, we decided to open our store on Sept. 11, 2001. We said to ourselves, “grand opening, grand closing,” but 12 years later we’re still here.
Not every kid is looking to run a 4.3 40-yard dash or play football or basketball, but they enjoy sneakers, their graphics and styles.
A lot of our customers remember each sneaker from their era and want to continue to wear them. It’s more of a casual thing.
We’ve been fortunate to partner with companies such as Nike, Converse and Vans. Some of our most consistent sellers have been the Nike Air Force and Nike Dunk. The Converse Chuck Taylors are an iconic shoe, they’re forever. We can go endlessly with materials, color patterns and waves, and it will always be popular.
Our main designer right now is Chris Kam, also known as DJ Delve.
We’ve been able to partner with Converse and Nike in terms of collaborating on design and style. This past month we released a Converse Chuck Taylor with a camel pattern. The reception for that shoe has been remarkable. We’ve received an insane amount of calls from all over the world about that shoe.
It has been fun watching over the years how materials and graphics have changed and evolved. Following those trends keeps us constantly interested.
If you have an enjoyment for shoes or sneakers, I’ll bet we have something for you.
1530 Makaloa St.
941-9191
Kickshawaii.com
