Ronnie Fieg Talks “COA” PUMA Collaboration, High Fashion and Focusing on Footwear

Nice Kicks: We talk about ‘that kid’ a lot. For you, who is that kid?

Ronnie Fieg: It’s anybody that wants to be different. It’s anybody that wants to educate themselves on differentiating themselves from big box store general releases to something special that they won’t see on everybody. They can feel that feeling that I had growing when I would get a special piece and dress it up with things that people didn’t understand. It’s a form of self expression. I see this as being a way that kids can really express themselves. That’s the kid – it’s any kid that wants to be different, and I think that population is growing heavily.

Nice Kicks: Seven years ago when we had our first interview, you brought up the importance of meticulous attention to quality. Tell me about how important quality is to you to this day.

Ronnie Fieg: That has never changed. It’s always quality first. It’s really something that’s been a staple in my mindset. The base of any project is really seeing how premium the product can be when it’s finished. The concept has to tie into that aesthetic from the beginning. That’s why this project works so well. The PUMA Disc Blaze is already ahead of its time. It has that cage, that futuristic, more of a fashion forward look. Adding the black leathers and those different pigskins and nubucks really elevates the silhouette. The quality is always most important. If you look at any project I’ve ever worked on in terms of footwear, you will always be able to tell the difference between my project and another project because of the quality of the goods. Making sure the customer gets more than what they pay for has always been the motto and always will be.

Nice Kicks: The market’s always shifting. What do you think we’re going to see happen in 2014 in terms of the consumer base and what they gravitate towards?

Ronnie Fieg: One thing we know is that the consumer is getting smarter. In general, the younger generation is getting smarter. My nephews are over here, two years old, playing with an iPad and they know how to take pictures of themselves. My middle nephew’s nine and he knows how to send e-mails. It’s a new era. We know that the younger kid is smarter and that they’re more educated. It’s become harder for anyone that’s producing anything because it’s harder to get their attention and they lack patience. In an industry where the kids have no patience and they’re educated, it’s impossible to gain any sort of momentum if you don’t put out a quality product. I still have that mindset of a kid. I’m a fanbody of a lot of sh*t. I’m the same as any other kid that’s into footwear – I’m that kid. I’ll never put myself above that. I’m still that same fiend as when I started.

Nice Kicks: You say the term ‘fanboy.’ I’m sure a lot of your fanboys would love to know who you’re a fanboy of.

Ronnie Fieg: I’m older now. I’m 31. I’m dressing a little bit different, so I’m a fan of higher aesthetics than I used to be. I very much love what Visvim does because they always pay attention to detail and they never cut corners in terms of how they produce things. White Mountaineering is another one – they just outdo themselves. Every year they get better and better. I still like what Carhartt in Europe does, they always kill it. I’m starting to dress a little different, so fashion forward brands. My favorite fashion forward brand would be Philip Lim. Phil Lim is doing great things. As we move forward, you’re going to see that the apparel for Kith is going to get more and more sophisticated in terms of the materials that we’re using and the finishes on the materials. My taste level in apparel changes with my age, it’s just how I implement those things into goods that will be marketable to my marketplace. Just taking different aspects and small but important pieces of what I like and implementing them into a system that’s gaining a serious following is going to be interesting to see.

photo by Ugly Mely

Nice Kicks: Do you see a challenge focusing on footwear as the Kith apparel line continues to grow?

Ronnie Fieg: The footwear will always be the main focus. I have five guys on my team that are employed in-house that work on the apparel non-stop, everyday. For the footwear I have nobody. I work on the footwear solely and I have help on the apparel. The footwear will never get less time than it’s getting or has gotten. That continues to be my main focus and it always will be. I can honestly say that.