At STR/KE we are excited and encouraged to see the message of unity and positivity resonate across the globe with people who want to move beyond the status quo.
During the 2013 CrossFit Games season when Anníe Thorisdottir was out of the competition due to a back injury, I took the opportunity to step away from coaching and dip my toes into media production alongside Sal Masekela and Jason Berg, owners of UX Entertainment- a production company based in Los Angeles. We set out to produce a pilot episode for a potential digital series, where we explored the lifestyle behind the scenes at the CrossFit Games and the extended CrossFit community.
It was during the filming of this show that Sal Masekela introduced me to Marc Morisset. Marc was a former Pro-Snowboarder turned entrepreneur and designer, and who at that time had recently co-founded STR/KE MVMNT, an alternative athletic footwear and apparel brand.
I was initially dismissive of the STR/KE shoe. Maybe it was due to my loyalty towards my sponsorship with Reebok at the time. Maybe it was because I was aware of the colossal task ahead for STR/KE to find its footing in the retail market to one day become a true competitor and alternative in the footwear and apparel space. Although I was hesitant at first, I was curious enough to accept Marc’s offer to send me a pair of shoes. A few days after getting back home from the Games, a package with two pairs of STRIKE shoes were delivered to my doorstep: a pair of Intervals and a pair of Chill Pills. I happily popped them onto my feet to give them a test drive as a casual alternative for my daily living.
I worked in them, I trained in them, I travelled in them, and although I was under contract with Reebok to wear their shoes during my “public work hours”, as soon as I was off the clock the Reeboks would come off and the Strikes would come on.
It wasn’t long before I noticed these shoes began to be around for every moment of my day-to-day. I worked in them, I trained in them, I travelled in them, and although I was under contract with Reebok to wear their shoes during my “public work hours”, as soon as I was off the clock the Reeboks would come off and the Strikes would come on. The shoe simply felt and looked right. The aesthetic, performance, and feel was me all the way.
I stayed in touch with Marc and continued my conversation about the direction of the company and the philosophy behind it. It was finally one day over lunch in San Francisco, where I expressed to Marc my need to be part of something that made me feel like a proactive participant rather than a just a number and billboard. It wasn’t that Reebok was treating me poorly; I was getting paid well, given access to almost everything and anything I needed, but the chemistry was simply not there, and the impact I believed I was capable of making beyond moving product was not happening.
The partnership was an instant success and here we are four years later in 2018 executing on delivering what we originally set out to do- manufacture products based around a broad spectrum performance with a focus on casual, wearable aesthetic.
Fast forward to 2014 and my contract with Reebok was up, so I made the move and joined the STR/KE MVMNT investment team and took on the role of Global Ambassador. The partnership was an instant success and here we are four years later in 2018 executing on delivering what we originally set out to do- manufacture products based around a broad spectrum performance with a focus on casual, wearable aesthetic. The goal was and still is to create a new athletic standard where our products meet both technical and casual expectations of a new generation of movers, athletes, and travelers.
At the center of the STR/KE MVMNT brand, however, lies something more important- our philosophy. It’s a philosophy of unity through movement as described by our tagline: UNITED BY MOTION. Our brand expresses this through the support and inclusion of all movement modalities, sexes, ages, races, and orientations. At STR/KE we are excited and encouraged to see the message of unity and positivity resonate across the globe with people who want to move beyond the status quo.
I am proud for what we stand for at STR/KE, the products we develop, and the community that supports us. I am excited to continue to share what we are up to at STR/KE MVMNT and how the relationship between STR/KE and Freestyle Connection continues to unfold.
To learn more about the brand and what the future holds, I invite you to follow STR/KE on Instagram, visit the website, and watch our content on YouTube. We look forward to seeing you there!
Check out some of our latest releases:
The pinnacle of New Athletic Standards.
Mountaineering grade fabrics with thermally welded overlays combine to offer unparalleled abrasion resistance and support.
The Chill Pill, now available in extra strength.
By placing the Chill Pill silhouette on the new Cross Platform Outsole it can now be prescribed for an even wider set of environmental conditions.
Comfort and fit meets true performance
Made with our new Tight-Knit™ construction, this shoe merges the sock-like comfort and breath-ability of knit with an internal structure allowing for true performance.
The Chill Pill is central to STR/KE MVMNTs design philosophy.
The Chill Pill merges technical performance with a classic aesthetic to achieve a new athletic standard.
Contributor: Carl Paoli