John Fluevog
Encyclopedia
John Fluevog is a Canadian
shoe
designer. His shoes are noted for their progressive, art deco
inspired styles. His shoes often include messages—for instance, "Resists alkali, water, acid, fatigue and Satan" -- engraved into the soles.
, Canada, Fluevog spent much of his youth at his father's drive-in ice cream parlour. During this time, he developed a passion for cars, which in turn has provided inspiration for many of his shoe designs. As his company's website declares, "When he's drawing a shoe, he's thinking about a car and, when he's drawing a car, he's thinking about a shoe".
After spending a summer hitchhiking the west coast, Fluevog returned to Vancouver and began working for Sheppard's Shoes. In 1970, he joined forces with fellow co-worker Peter Fox to start their own shoestore in Vancouver's Gastown
. The partnership, known as "Fox and Fluevog", lasted over ten years before the two split amicably in 1981. In 1985, Fluevog opened his own store in Seattle, financed in part by the sale of his car.
During the 1980s, Fluevog was the first to import Dr. Marten
shoes into North America. By the 1990s, Fluevog had opened five privately owned and operated stores in Seattle, Vancouver, Boston, Toronto, and New York. His shoes began to appear in magazines such as Vogue, in fashion shows for Anna Sui
and Betsey Johnson, and upon the feet of celebrities such as Madonna
and Lady Miss Kier
. In her movie, "Truth Or Dare"
, Madonna opens a box of hot pink platform Fluevogs, slips them on, walks toward the camera and says, "Ya like 'em?". Fluevog shoes also were popular in the fashion of the Seattle Grunge
movement, particularly his "Angel" boots that included the inscription "Resists alkali, water, acid, fatigue and Satan" on their soles. By the end of the 1990s, Fluevog had stores in San Francisco store and Chicago Store. These were followed in the 2000s by stores in Los Angeles]], Montreal
, and a new flagship store in Gastown. As of August, 2010 there were 11 Fluevog stores.
tree latex, a natural latex harvested in Vietnam
. Some styles have been made using vegetable tanned
leathers. Fluevog has also released remakes of successful styles using hemp
instead of leather, making the shoes vegan.
designed with Courtney Taylor-Taylor
of the Dandy Warhols. In 2007 after a spontaneous performance in the Vancouver storefront, Perry Farrell
of Jane's Addiction
, gravitated towards the women's heels. Inspired by the performance, Fluevog designed a 2.5" men's high heeled boot named "Perry," which was manufactured in blue faux-crocodile, black snake, and mirror silver leathers for Fluevog's Fall '08 line.
, who wore a pair of John's Mini "Lover boots" on her first day as co-host on The View, Woody Harrelson
, Scarlet Johanssen, Robin Williams
, Paula Abdul
, comedy writer/voice actor Doc Hammer
, Neil Patrick Harris
, and actor Masi Oka
who was seen wearing Fluevogs on many episodes of NBC's Heroes
. The White Stripes
own custom red and white Fluevogs.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
shoe
Shoe
A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot while doing various activities. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from culture to culture, with appearance originally being tied to function...
designer. His shoes are noted for their progressive, art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
inspired styles. His shoes often include messages—for instance, "Resists alkali, water, acid, fatigue and Satan" -- engraved into the soles.
Career
Born and raised in VancouverVancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada, Fluevog spent much of his youth at his father's drive-in ice cream parlour. During this time, he developed a passion for cars, which in turn has provided inspiration for many of his shoe designs. As his company's website declares, "When he's drawing a shoe, he's thinking about a car and, when he's drawing a car, he's thinking about a shoe".
After spending a summer hitchhiking the west coast, Fluevog returned to Vancouver and began working for Sheppard's Shoes. In 1970, he joined forces with fellow co-worker Peter Fox to start their own shoestore in Vancouver's Gastown
Gastown
Gastown is a national historic site in Vancouver, British Columbia, at the northeast end of Downtown adjacent to the Downtown Eastside. Its historical boundaries were the waterfront , Columbia Street, Hastings Street, and Cambie Street, which were the borders of the 1870 townsite survey, the proper...
. The partnership, known as "Fox and Fluevog", lasted over ten years before the two split amicably in 1981. In 1985, Fluevog opened his own store in Seattle, financed in part by the sale of his car.
During the 1980s, Fluevog was the first to import Dr. Marten
Dr. Martens
Dr. Martens is a traditional British footwear brand, which also makes a range of accessories – shoe care products, clothing, luggage, etc. In addition to Dr. Martens, they are known as Doctor Martens, Doc Martens, Docs or DMs...
shoes into North America. By the 1990s, Fluevog had opened five privately owned and operated stores in Seattle, Vancouver, Boston, Toronto, and New York. His shoes began to appear in magazines such as Vogue, in fashion shows for Anna Sui
Anna Sui
Anna Sui is an American fashion designer. Her luxury brand retails globally in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Her clothing, fragrance, cosmetic, and accessories lines sell at Anna Sui stores in over 50 countries and are also widely distributed at leading department stores...
and Betsey Johnson, and upon the feet of celebrities such as Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
and Lady Miss Kier
Lady Miss Kier
Kierin Magenta Kirby , better known by her professional name Lady Miss Kier, is an American singer and DJ.-Personal life:Kirby was born in Youngstown, Ohio and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
. In her movie, "Truth Or Dare"
Madonna: Truth or Dare
Madonna: Truth or Dare is a 1991 American documentary film chronicling the life of American singer-songwriter Madonna during her 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour...
, Madonna opens a box of hot pink platform Fluevogs, slips them on, walks toward the camera and says, "Ya like 'em?". Fluevog shoes also were popular in the fashion of the Seattle Grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
movement, particularly his "Angel" boots that included the inscription "Resists alkali, water, acid, fatigue and Satan" on their soles. By the end of the 1990s, Fluevog had stores in San Francisco store and Chicago Store. These were followed in the 2000s by stores in Los Angeles]], Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, and a new flagship store in Gastown. As of August, 2010 there were 11 Fluevog stores.
"Green philosophy"
As part of Fluevog's "green" philosophy, when he opened his new Gastown store he moved his design office into the store location where customers can watch the design team in action from the first floor showroom. By creating desks out of scaffolding, tables out of fallen old growth oak trees and pipes salvaged from the Alaskan Pipeline, and using recycled carpets and other various cast-off items, John designed an "eco-friendly" workspace. Fluevog "Angel" soles are resoleable and made from heveaHevea
Hevea is a genus of flowering plants in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. It is also one of many names used commercially for the wood of the most economically important species H. brasiliensis.-Selected species:* Hevea benthamiana Müll.Arg....
tree latex, a natural latex harvested in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. Some styles have been made using vegetable tanned
Tanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
leathers. Fluevog has also released remakes of successful styles using hemp
Hemp
Hemp is mostly used as a name for low tetrahydrocannabinol strains of the plant Cannabis sativa, of fiber and/or oilseed varieties. In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel with modest...
instead of leather, making the shoes vegan.
Design collaborations
In 2002, John created Open Source Footwear, an online site where anyone can submit shoe designs. If a submission is selected, the shoe is named after its creator. So far, there have been twelve open source submissions manufactured. Other Fluevog collaboration designs have been a snowboarding boot with Ride Snowboards, a bicycling shoe with Race Face Bikes, a shoe with the Danielson Family, and more recently a Riding bootRiding boot
A riding boot is a boot made to be used for horse riding. The classic boot comes high enough up the leg to prevent the leathers of the saddle from pinching the leg of the rider, has a sturdy toe to protect the rider's foot when on the ground, and has a distinct heel to prevent the foot from sliding...
designed with Courtney Taylor-Taylor
Courtney Taylor-Taylor
Courtney Taylor-Taylor is an American singer-songwriter from Portland, Oregon. He is the lead singer and guitarist of alternative rock band The Dandy Warhols, a band he co-founded. The vast majority of the band's songs are written by Taylor-Taylor, including hits "We Used to Be Friends" and...
of the Dandy Warhols. In 2007 after a spontaneous performance in the Vancouver storefront, Perry Farrell
Perry Farrell
Perry Farrell is the frontman for the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction. Farrell created the touring festival Lollapalooza as a farewell tour for Jane's Addiction in 1991; it has since evolved into an annual destination festival. Farrell continues to produce Lollapalooza with partners William...
of Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band's original line-up featured Perry Farrell , Dave Navarro , Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins . After breaking up in 1991, Jane's Addiction briefly reunited in 1997 and again in 2001, both times...
, gravitated towards the women's heels. Inspired by the performance, Fluevog designed a 2.5" men's high heeled boot named "Perry," which was manufactured in blue faux-crocodile, black snake, and mirror silver leathers for Fluevog's Fall '08 line.
Famous Fluevogers
John has gained fans all over the world, known as "Fluevogers". Some notable fans include Whoopi GoldbergWhoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
, who wore a pair of John's Mini "Lover boots" on her first day as co-host on The View, Woody Harrelson
Woody Harrelson
Woodrow Tracy "Woody" Harrelson is an American actor.Harrelson's breakthrough role came in the television sitcom Cheers as bartender Woody Boyd...
, Scarlet Johanssen, Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
, Paula Abdul
Paula Abdul
Paula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits...
, comedy writer/voice actor Doc Hammer
Doc Hammer
Eric A. "Doc" Hammer is an American musician, actor, film and television writer, voice actor, and painter. He performed in the gothic rock bands Requiem in White from 1985 to 1995 and Mors Syphilitica from 1995 to 2002, both with his then-wife Lisa Hammer...
, Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris is an American actor, singer, director, and magician.Prominent roles of his career include the title role in Doogie Howser, M.D., Colonel Carl Jenkins in Starship Troopers, the womanizing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold...
, and actor Masi Oka
Masi Oka
Masayori "Masi" Oka is a Japanese-American actor and digital effects artist.He has performed in numerous feature films and TV series, most prominently as Hiro Nakamura in the NBC TV series Heroes from 2006 until its cancellation in May 2010. He resides in Los Angeles, California.-Early life:Oka...
who was seen wearing Fluevogs on many episodes of NBC's Heroes
Heroes (TV series)
Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
. The White Stripes
The White Stripes
The White Stripes was an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consisted of the songwriter Jack White and drummer Meg White . Jack and Meg White were previously married to each other, but are now divorced...
own custom red and white Fluevogs.