Introducing: OBRA Footwear

BEST FOOT FORWARD IN ALL-DAY WEARABILITY

OBRA Footwear Announces Imminent First Limited Release for June ’18.

A long-awaited step forward in vulcanized sneakers is imminent with the launch of OBRA premium footwear, the joint vision of two New York City-based entrepreneurial designers — ALIFE and New York Art Department founder Arnaud Delecolle, and Dave Cory formerly Converse’s Director of Product.

Roughly translating from the Portuguese obra as physical or artistic work, OBRA footwear represents both the utilitarian and artistic interpretations through a considered approach to functional styling with focus on everyday-use wear, fit and comfort. From the cushioning pleasure of a thick, dual-density EVA insole to the grippy outsole inspired by Brutalist architecture, OBRA sneakers offer durability and stability unmatched by such lightweight construction.

OBRA footwear reinforces the founders’ appreciation and enthusiasm for contemporary art and culture that continues from a strong emphasis on progressive design to a commitment to create inspiring footwear with exceptional artists while also promoting and furthering their personal work.

A core part of OBRA’s greater purpose and underlining appeal is a social-betterment initiative that continues through design and production, and even beyond purchase to allocate a share of revenue to non-profit organizations focused on civil liberties and education. Kicking this off is a partnership with Red Hook Labs that donates 10% of sales to their teen programs which link year-round skills training with professional opportunities.

This socially conscious ethos is further highlighted with production undertaken in Brazil by a family-owned production house now celebrating its 70th year in business, where employees thrive within a progression program that uplifts the local community — continuing education programs, on-site medical facilities, a nutritionist-managed cafeteria, local day-care facilities and to-and-from work transportation. 

To request preferred access to events and advance product release information, visit www.oobbrraa.com.

For all media inquiries contact VOCAL.  

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York Athletic PopUp Shop

11.29.16 / 6pm–9pm

114 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116

RSVP: tami@yorkathleticsmfg.com

Truly valuing individuality, creativity and a fighting spirit, YORK footwear and accessories are minimally designed for maximum performance, empowering the wearer to create intention and carve out their own unique path in life. With their signature training shoe, The Henry, YORK has gained a strong following within the fighting fitness community, as well as with trainers and everyday gym goers. A roster of renowned professional trainers are in YORK’s corner as brand ambassadors – including Anna Farrant, Jay Kelly, Kevin Cobbs, Whitney Hull-Benson, and Jordan Bowers – and are living examples of how a fighting mindset can change your life. All leaders in their field, they understand the impact health and fitness have on ones mind as well as ones body, and reinforce the brand’s honoring of the fighting spirit in all of us. 

For all media inquiries contact VOCAL.  

York Athletic MFG Releases Holiday Performance Footwear Collection

The newly launched performance footwear brand YORK Athletics Mfg. came strong out of the gates earlier this year with its high quality and intentionally understated line of lightweight performance trainers and accessories. This second collection for the holidays see iconic models revamped with new materials, colorways and the addition of temperature regulating Dri-Freeze technology.

YORK is blazing a new trail in the health and fitness space by promoting both mental and physical health, believing that a fighting mindset strengthens the pursuit of living a more fulfilling and healthy life. As some of the most conditioned athletes in the world, YORK manifests this through the lens of boxers whose training rigorously combines strength, speed, stamina, balance and mental conditioning. Even if you’re not a boxer, YORK inspires you to train like a fighter.

Truly valuing individuality, creativity and a fighting spirit, YORK footwear and accessories are minimally designed for maximum performance, empowering the wearer to create intention and carve out their own unique path in life. With their signature training shoe, The Henry, YORK has gained a strong following within the fighting fitness community, as well as with trainers and everyday gym goers. A roster of renowned professional trainers are in YORK’s corner as brand ambassadors – including Anna Farrant, Jay Kelly, Kevin Cobbs, Whitney Hull-Benson, and Jordan Bowers – and are living examples of how a fighting mindset can change your life. All leaders in their field, they understand the impact health and fitness have on ones mind as well as ones body, and reinforce the brand’s honoring of the fighting spirit in all of us.

YORK’s Holiday Collection presents their iconic silhouette, The Henry, in six new materials and colorways available across the classic and mid-top models, all emboldened with the addition of Dry-Freeze technology. Built into the sock liner or insole, this innovation provides exceptional breathability and moisture control to keep your feet comfortable and refreshed so you can continue to turn up your workout even when temperatures rise. These lightweight, breathable and highly responsive trainers ensure that your performance is only as limited as your drive.

Further fueling their product evolution and refinement is the growing community that shares their stories and insights through YORK’s online Out of Step journal, presenting unapologetic perspectives that range from the motivating and inspiring to the educational and entertaining. Rather than a specific sport uniting this community of movement mavericks, it is a shared mindset focused on the mental and physical disciplines of healthy balance.

Coinciding with the collection release is YORK’s announcement of their partnership with public relations agency VOCAL, the New York City-based PR and marketing firm increasingly focusing on technology, sports and fitness. Aside from taking the lead on all brand communications, from the digital conversation to brand ambassador programming, VOCAL will also help guide this fast-growing #OutOfStep audience and ensure that the YORK message is carried to all who choose a more informed path to personal performance. 

For more information please visit www.YorkAthleticsMfg.com. For all media inquiries contact VOCAL.  

The VOCAL Times – People Footwear

From the masterminds behind Native Shoes comes the new and innovative footwear brand, People Footwear.

Headed by founders Damian Van Zyll de Jong and Matthew Penner, People Footwear will be launching this spring, backed by a mission to invent supremely comfortable high-performance shoes using leading “Dreamweave” technology. With styling done by Esme Smith and photography shot by Alana Paterson and Chris Brown, People Footwear is a vision- ary collection of vibrant colors and classic shapes re-imagined for the future.

Be one of the first people to put your feet first into the future with the official US launch this Spring. 

#peoplemeetpeople

Fashion Casual Footwear for the People, by People

People FootwearTM Launches as the Exciting & Invigorating Shoe that is More with Less, for All.

Canadian entrepreneurs Damian Van Zyll De Jong and Matt Penner, original founders of Native Shoes, have recently launched People Footwear. With a view to reinvigorate the footwear market that struggles to tangibly evolve with the modern lifestyle, People is taking cues from the timeless to create footwear for our time.

It’s the simple things that turn out to be the best. People Footwear is about bringing people together; stepping outside to see where the day takes you, who you might meet along the way and knowing an adventure awaits if you’re up for it. And that starts with wearing what looks and feels right.

Shoes don’t have to be complicated. People offer a contemporary design of common sense in a shoe that is stripped down to its simplest form. From construction to production, nothing is wasted and everything is streamlined to produce footwear for today that connects the best styles of the past with the best technology of the future.

Constructed from molded foam, People shoes are the epitome of harmonious comfort making them ideal to throw on to get out. Inspired from famed classic casuals of eras past, they then become a shoe of thoughtful style that, through their minimal aesthetic, subtly compliment your personal style for any casual adventure the day may hold.

Each of the four styles launching for Spring/Summer 2014 are based on a core construction of People’s own Skylite™ and Super Cush™ performance foams, being water repellant, shock-absorbing, easy to clean and best of all, odor resistant. The fully molded style (The Senna – see below) is comprised almost entirely of this super-light and supremely comfortable foam, with secondary materials such as rubber tread elements and removable laces strategically incorporated for added functionality. The three hybrid styles (The Phillips, The Stanley and The Lennon) combine molded Skylite™ foam components with fabric uppers and modern seamless construction techniques for breathable all-season functionality. Two People models (The Phillips and The Stanley) boast 3D printing, the latest in no-sew technology applied selectively to fabrics for structural and aesthetic detail.

Taking the performance hallmarks of an athletic shoe into daily footwear, People have created shoes that envelope your feet and express a balance of support and freedom. Simplification can revolutionize existing staples in ways previously unimagined. And so it is with People Footwear, from design and production through to the freedom felt when wearing them. This is how shoes should feel.