{"id":1228800,"date":"2023-08-04T09:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-04T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/?p=1228800"},"modified":"2023-08-04T09:32:00","modified_gmt":"2023-08-04T14:32:00","slug":"crenshaw-skate-club-nike-sb-dunk-low-interview-tobey-mcintosh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/crenshaw-skate-club-nike-sb-dunk-low-interview-tobey-mcintosh\/","title":{"rendered":"Crenshaw Skate Club’s Tobey McIntosh Explains How His Nike SB Dunk Low Is a Love Letter to South Central LA"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
The CSC founder talks about his first Nike SB sneaker and how he was mentored by Born X Raised founder Spanto.\u00a0<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

At the age of 14, Tobias \u201cTobey\u201d McIntosh and his friends started Crenshaw Skate Posse, a group of kids from South Central, Los Angeles who gathered to ride throughout the city. While simple in nature, the group grew to have a larger mission of filling the void of representation of Black and brown kids in the skate industry.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c I saw a lack of representation in the skate industry of people who look like my friends and me,\u201d Tobey said. \u201cSo, we wanted to start something that represents us.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Posse would be renamed as Crenshaw Skate Club<\/a> and with only $100, Tobey cooked up some t-shirts that were eventually sold at Supreme LA, a result of Tobey\u2019s organic relationship of hanging around the store while his father ran errands in the area.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe only plan I had was to move with purpose and always remember why I started the brand,\u201d he said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tobey, now 20 and a student at Stanford University, would\u2019ve never imagined that a desire to form a skate crew would turn into a brand that has touched some of the most elite names in streetwear.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From Supreme being CSC\u2019s first retail stockist, to collaborating with BBC Ice Cream, LA\u2019s Born X Raised, The Hundreds, and even the Los Angeles Clippers, Crenshaw Skate Club now has its first skate shoe collab on deck with the Crenshaw Skate Club x Nike SB Dunk Low<\/strong><\/a>, releasing at CrenshawSkateClub.com<\/a> and select skate shops nationwide on August 5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But for Tobey, CSC is more than just a skate brand, but also a platform to inspire and empower skaters of color. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI knew that with each shirt sold, I could spread that message even further, and I can just use [them] as a canvas to display my message,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Living up to its name and brand\u2019s mission, the CSC x Nike SB Dunk Low is inspired by Los Angeles\u2019 predominantly Black neighborhood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key details on the shoe feature a blue, green, and patina-like finish on the shoe\u2019s toe box, overlays, and heel counter, representative of the street signs in the area that have been beaten down by the California sun and oxidized to a similar hue.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Palm trees, an extra set of insoles, extra laces, his zip code on the bottom of the insole, and a sticker all are a part of the shoe and its story \u2014 a story that Tobey has been waiting to tell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The CSC letter blocks is an homage to a daycare center nearby where Tobey grew up and a quote inspired by former President Barack Obama\u2019s speech, \u201cWe are the ones you\u2019ve been waiting for,\u201d is located under the tongue.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another symbolic reference to Crenshaw on the shoe is the mysterious drawing located on the shoe\u2019s bottom heel tab which has been speculated ever since the shoe\u2019s early leaks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until now, Tobey says no one has been able to break down its significance, unless you\u2019re familiar with the neighborhood. The design is representative of the Crenshaw Square sign and is outlined as a subtle nod to the landmark.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wanted to put that there just to have something on the shoe that glues in the reference without it being too obvious,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Like any highly anticipated shoe release, CSC\u2019s Nike collab got in the hands of leakers and images of the shoe started circulating the internet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c[Leaks] can only hinder your rollout and the momentum of the project if you let it,\u201d he said. \u201cI shut that all out and just stay focused on the work I had to do so that I could tell my story my own way.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0Instead of a traditional hyped up sneaker launch with Instagrammable social moments for influencers to post, Tobey celebrated the collab by having an event at a local skate park where members of the Crenshaw community could get a free skate deck, eat, and most importantly \u2014 skate.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few Nike SB legends such as Theotis Beasley, Dashawn Jordan, Curtis Fontenot, and Eric Koston even showed up. And to Tobey\u2019s disbelief, Koston was wearing the CSC x Nike SB to skate around in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Eric Koston in the Crenshaw Skate Club x Nike SB Dunk Low ?? pic.twitter.com\/sSzfYc4P5Z<\/a><\/p>— Snkrs Day (@snkrsday) July 29, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote>