Cardiff fashion firm increases sales with Footwear

San Diego Business Journal, March 3, 2008 by Liz Wiedemann

The sandal and shoe surf brand Sanuk attracted recent attention for creating what some call the "not-a-shoe."

In February, the New York-based trade publication Footwear Plus awarded the local company the Footwear Item of the Year award in the multibillion-dollar footwear industry.

Nearly three years ago, Sanuk introduced the Sidewalk Surfer, slip-on footwear that falls somewhere between a shoe and a sandal. Since then, sales have more than doubled.

The closed-toe shoes are made of malleable cloth that flattens to fit into a backpack or to take to the beach. A pair retails from $48 to $55.

Sanuk President John Vance says that the company's founder, Jeff Kelley, drives the business and keeps ideas fresh.

Kelley, who founded the Cardiff-by-the-Sea business in 1999. created his first sandal concept from a swatch of green, indoor/outdoor carpet.

"We try to keep Jeff's creative DNA in all of our products--that way we make sure that the product is the center of our business, rather than us being the center," Vance said.

Sanuk is a Thai word meaning "pursuit of happiness," a translation that Vance says has remained a focus of his business.

"'We're just a bunch of surfers ... yet we've been embraced by retailers as broad as REI, Fred Segal and Barney's in New York." Vance said.

The company's design center, Vance says. is based in its Cardiff headquarters, while operations and distribution are handled in Irvine. The shoes are manufactured in China.

Surfer Shane Dorian, surfer and musician Donovan Frankenreiter and pro rock climber Chris Sharma are athletes currently sponsored by Sanuk.

Irvine-based C&C Cos. owns Sanuk and employs 80 people, including Sanuk's eight.