A BRIEF HISTORY OF DuFFS...

Early in 1993 DuFFS was born - kicking and screaming - in the skateboarding capital of the world that is Southern California. For the legendary Steve Rocco it was one of his fi rst forays into the world of skateboarding footwear and together with Laurence La Haye he set about changing the face of this growing industry. Some 15 years later and DuFFS are still at the forefront of skateboarding footwear style and innovation and boast a heritage and authenticity that few others can rival.
 

With offi ces along side the likes of DC Shoes in Vista, California DuFFS were clearly stating their intentions as a heavyweight shoe brand, however they were keen to dis- tance themselves from the sterile corporate image that was slowly infi ltrating most of their competitors at that time. As far as DuFFS were concerned the name said it all and they weren’t ashamed if people knew they had taken the moniker from the beer of choice of everyone’s favorite cartoon dad, Homer Simpson
 

But there is more to the name than just beer or The Simpson’s - the little ‘u’ in DuFFS was originally conceived as an in joke but has now become something of a trademark in it’s own right. To this day the brand still holds true to the idea that “DuFFS is important ‘u’ are not” whether that ‘you’ means riders, employees or customers; the brand and it’s ethos would not be compromised for or by anyone. At a time when the skateboarding “industry” was really beginning to take off, DuFFS injected some much needed irreverence and authenticity into a culture that was in danger of neglecting it’s roots and taking itself way too seriously.
 

With Alfonso Rawls of H-Street fame heading up the design, DuFFS were able to back up their ideology with some of the most progressive footwear ever seen at the time. Best selling shoes such as the Stromboli, the Cobnobbler and Kareem Campbell’s pro model, the KCK, are legendary even today and regularly feature in discussions on the best skate shoes of all time. The unprecedented investment in research and development of materials was the cornerstone of DuFFS early success with the brand quickly developing a reputation for producing the most technical, comfortable, durable and uniquely stylish shoes on the market. With such advancement it seemed only logical to segment the collection and as a result DuFFS Performance was born; specializing in the high end technical styles that were market leaders at the time.
 

For both the DuFFS main collection and Performance range the ingredients for success were the same; the superior quality and longevity of the shoes provided the perfect counterpoint to the trademark DuFFS tongue in cheek, humorous approach to skateboarding. Nowhere was this humour more evident than in the advertising campaigns which, along with many of the shoes, have become unforgettable in their own right. Never missing an opportunity to poke fun at the skateboarding industry, the DuFFS ads which appeared in 411 Video Magazine were, to say the least, fairly close to the mark. No subject was deemed out of bounds with ‘Nazi’ sweat shops, conservation issues and environmental concerns all getting the inimitable DuFFS treatment
 

The team roster, however, has never been a laughing matter and one quick look at the riders who have slipped their feet into DuFFS over the years reads like a who’s who of skateboarding past and present. Steve Olson, Kareem Campbell, Rodney Mullen and Daewon Song have all rocked the little ‘u’ and were heavily featured in the early print advertising. The likes of Chris Pastras, Brandon Biebel, Moses Itkonnen, Kris Markovich, Matt Mumford, Ricky Oyola, Danny Montoya, Stacy Lowery, Adam Alfaro, Jason ‘The Kid’ Adams and Matt Hensley have all skated for DuFFS over the past 15 years - a sure confi rmation that no matter how irreverent the advertising, how dumb the gags, sick skateboarding was, and will always be, the cornerstone of DuFFS. With such a team it was not long before DuFFS released their fi rst video, ‘The Wonders Years’ (1998) to much acclaim. With top quality skating and a sound track to match, ‘The Wonder Years’ is a mainstay of any self respecting skate video collector.
 

Similarly the BMX team has always been the envy of many a Team Manager and over the years Brian Castillo, Ryan Jordan, Brian Tunney, Anthony Napolitan and the legend that is Matt Hoffman have all repped DuFFS. Matt Hoffman’s Pro shoe ‘The Condor’ was a particular success and it was this shoe he was rocking when he famously made the fi rst no handed 900.
 

In 1999 DuFFS was bought by the Canadian footwear manufacturer Kamik but don’t let this fool you into thinking that DuFFS had become a blown out commercial, mass market brand - quite the opposite in fact. All the while DuFFS continued to innovate footwear style and technical advancements, and with yet more close to the knuckle advertising campaigns, the acceptable boundaries of taste too. Such was the commitment to real skateboarding that Russ Pope of Creature, Black Label and Scarecrow Skateboards was appointed as VP of Marketing with his artwork featuring on many shoes and marketing campaigns during his years with DuFFS. All of which only served to reinforce the credentials of DuFFS as a genuine skate brand with the staff, riders and heritage to back it up.
 

It’s a legacy that continues to this day and when DuFFS was acquired by the UK based company DuFFS 93 early in 2008, the new owners were quick to allay any fears that this would no longer be the case. Ex-pro Stacy Lowery returned to the fold, this time as Designer and continues to push the creative ethos, brand ideology and product development that has made DuFFS so successful over the past 15 years. Likewise the rider roster remains as strong as ever with the human wrecking ball that is Jimmy Levan (Metal Bikes) taking care of an increasingly strong International BMX team and the enigma that is Louie Barletta heading up a skate team already boasting some of the best up and coming talent that the US, UK and Europe has to offer.
 

All in all things are looking good for the next 15 years of DuFFS...