We are big fans of Gilbert Crockett so we were stoked yesterday when he swung by our Covent Garden store. He is in London on Vans business and pleasure, surrounding the imminent release of his new shoe the Vans Gilbert Crockett 2. Before he hit the streets store manager Matt Warder caught up with Gilbert in this quick interview…
For those who don’t know that you have a new shoe coming out can you tell us a little bit more about it? What are the inspirations behind the changes and how it differs from your first shoe?
It’s kind of just an update, they came to me and said they wanted to make a new shoe. I always have ideas turning in my head about shoes that I think would be great skate shoes to design so I just started to look at a lot of stuff that I was into. I looked at a lot of World War 2 era Vulcanised shoes that the army was issued, stuff like that. The colourways they were using and the construction of some of them. We took some of the details of the tread on the sidewall from that era of tennis shoes and looked at some modern sneaker type sport shoes too. I wanted to make a shoe with a classic skate look but a sporty modern tennis shoe also. They are really comfortable like a tennis shoe but they don’t feel like you’re sitting on some thin layer of rubber, they feel really solid too. At the same time they have plenty of boardfeel too which is sweet. I’m really happy with how they have turned out.
They look really good, looking forward to giving them a try. So you’re the head guy over at Quasi, it’s your company right?
No I’m not involved, everyone always thinks that. My friend Chad Bowers runs it
That clears up that misconception. What lies in the future for Quasi, anything video related?
Yeah I think we are going to start working on a video. A lot of the younger guys have a bunch of footage. Of course they have been stacking. Jake, Tyler and I just all recently finished working on things so we will start to focus on filming for Quasi soon hopefully and have a video to get going.
Tattoos are obviously a big part of your life and you draw them as well. Is that a possible career after skateboarding?
My after skateboarding dream? Maybe one of them yeah. I would love to learn more about drawing and tattooing pretty much. It’s fun for me
You’ve done tattoos already?
Just on myself
Where does that actually come from? Is it from a lot of folk art, a lot of Americana inspired stuff…
I’m just pretty into a lot of old imagery, old American imagery. I’m just inspired by a lot of older things. Old tattooers used to look at old Americana imagery and create tattoos. Back in the day they were creating the flash that everyone is re-creating now. I think it’s cool. I like to draw from flash too but it’s also fun to draw from old imagery that isn’t tattoo imagery. I basically try to create things in the way people used to create them at least the images not tattoos.
A lot of it is from childrens books and cereal packets from the 1940’s isn’t it?
Yeah you can find great imagery from back then just about everywhere.
Obvious question Trump yea or nay?
Nay. I just try to keep out of politics as much as possible. I don’t think that he is going to do any good but I honestly try to stay ignorant to it. I don’t want to be caught up in it or emotionally involved. I’m not even attached to being an American, you know what I mean? I don’t want to be dragged down with him.
What’s the secret to ollieing higher than everyone else?
The secret, I don’t know. I must have just got some leg muscles passed down to me from my family.
Lastly, Special Gilby where is he? haven’t seen him in a while where is he these days?…
Hahaha, yeah he’s been in hiding. I haven’t seen him in a while but he’ll be out at some point.
Special Instagram account made for him?
Yeah maybe. That would be pretty smart
We’ll look forward to it!
Interview by Matt Warder. Shop for Quasi HERE and Vans HERE. Stay tuned for Gilbert’s new shoe!