Last Resort AB
It is not about the size
Interview with Sami
Co-Founder and Designer
Last Resort AB
March 2022
Before you partnered up with Pontus, you have done your own high-end shoes which were sold in Japan only. I have tons of question on that, but can you give us a simple answer how this all came about?
Long story short, I got fired from my previous job and happened to have some connections that could introduce us to a shoe factory in Portugal, so we (myself and one of our partners) decided to dip our toes in the deep end and start a shoe brand. I previously lived in Tokyo, so we managed to get our shoes in some shops over there.
On your website it quotes Pontus talking about the skate shoe landscape feeling off and weird the way these huge corporations run it. Can you elaborate what he meant by that?
Well, those are Pontus words so I can’t elaborate on his feelings about it, but I can say that there aren’t any skate companies dictating the terms and conditions of Golf or Basketball etc. You know what I’m sayin’?
How do you avoid that Last Resort AB becomes one of those huge corporations too?
VANS started off small and as a family business too. I don’t know what the future holds, we might get bigger or smaller, no one knows. It’s not so much about the size of the company, it’s more the origins and intention that matter.
You also mentioned that the shoe is made for skateboarding and beyond. Who else is the shoe for?
We’re not trying to be elitist or exclusive in any way, and I would say our shoes are pretty clean/simple in the way they look so anyone can wear them.
‘I can say that there aren’t any skate companies dictating the terms and conditions of Golf or Basketball etc.’
LRAB is still a young company. Are you guys happy how it has been evolving and how the skaters have responded to?
Yes.
Any constructive feedback? Anything they did not like, and you agreed and made the change?
We get a fair bit of comments and feedback and we’re still small enough to be very personal with people which is nice, it’s still me and Pontus answering peoples DM’s on insta. We’re always fine-tuning some bits but at the end of the day it’s our product and company and most people seem to like what we’re about. We have a clear vision on how/what we want to do and the integrity behind those desicions are quite strict. We’ve always said that we’re here as an option, if you don’t like what we do there are other products out there, can’t please em’ all.
What is Last Resort AB’s best seller incl. colour and size?
Since the get go it’s been the VM001 in black/white, it’s a classic colourway and it’s always in our catalogue. Both Hi’s and Lows.
‘We’ve always said that we’re here as an option, if you don’t like what we do there are other products out there, can’t please em’ all.’
You manufacture your shoes in Vietnam. Can a local skater buy them there as well?
We don’t have any local retailers as of yet, hopefully we will in a near future. Meanwhile our factory has a lil’ flowteam over there, the local kids.
What is the single, biggest challenge at Las Resort AB at the moment?
Covid-19, it makes things very unpredictable, production, logistics etc.
In the Jenkem interview, Pontus stated you guys are working on some strategies to make an even larger impact on the entire supply chain. Have you made any progress? If not, what are your plans?
This is an extremely complex issue that any producing company has an obligation to work with constantly. We have worked with the world’s leading third-party testing and inspection agency from the beginning to ensure that our producers and products comply with social and environmental standards.
‘It’s not so much the size of the company, it’s more the origins and intention that matter.’
If you pick one pro skater that you want to on your team, who would it be and why?
The guys on the team right now are great, we hope to build on the current vibes.
What is your view on people collecting sneakers that will never be worn?
Don’t know, seems kind of pointless.
Last question. If you could interview one person, who would it be and why?
Maybe Carl Jung, not for an interview but a conversation, the human psyche is fascinating, simple yet complex.
