End of an era: It’s a tough time for the skateboarding scene. More and more skate brands are shutting down, and skate shops are closing their doors.
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The latest news is that Lakai Footwear, a once-iconic skate shoe brand, had to be sold because it hit some serious financial trouble. With production costs going up, sales dropping, and a lot of skaters moving towards big corporate brands, smaller companies are really struggling to keep their heads above water.
Lakai tried to adapt, but the money issues just piled up, forcing the brand to make this tough decision.
The new CEO of Lakai skateboarding shoe brand, Marc Roca, contacted YouTube skater Luis Mora to work for him and rebuild the company from scratch.
However, Mora refused and asked to be an owner instead, believing that skaters would rather support a skater-owned brand than one run by someone who doesn’t even skate.
The bad news is, the two head honchos, Rick Howard and Mike Carroll, were let go after the company was purchased in October 2024, and all employees and riders for the brand have been removed.
With Roca acquiring companies under his leadership at Inversal, a family-owned house of brands that focuses on acquiring and turning around privately sourced distressed businesses." He did a strategy to stay true to Lakai’s roots and he knew a skater had to be at the helm.
When Mora asked Roca if he could be an owner instead of just an employee, the new CEO agreed, and they teamed up to ensure that one of skateboarding’s most beloved core shoe brands would prevail—despite having been sold three times.
Mora has already built a new team and filmed a promo video called Lakai in Tokyo, featuring new riders Bastien Salabanzi, Roman Hager, Gabryel Aguilar, and Japan's very own Jumpei Tsutsumi. You can stream the skate video below.
Unfortunately for Howard and Carroll, they had to let go of Lakai, saying:
"Hard to put 25 years into words or a paragraph. We want to take this moment to THANK EVERYONE that rode the Flare, held the Flare, waved the Flare, and shared the Flare. What a run with the best humans, wouldn’t have done it any other way. Until we meet again."
With Lakai now in Mora’s hands, the brand is getting a fresh start while staying true to its roots. The YouTuber is all about keeping it skater-owned, and with a solid new team and a fresh promo video, things are already moving in the right direction.
It’s definitely the end of an era with Howard and Carroll stepping away, but their impact on Lakai and skateboarding won’t be forgotten.
Now, it’s up to Mora and the crew to carry the torch and keep the Flare alive. Let’s see where this next chapter takes them.