Jon Tang doesn’t know how to do things halfway. When the Los Angeles-based footwear designer and FRONTEER founder starts something, he goes all in. He thinks like an architect, and his designs are inspired by his relationship to nature, the lineage of outdoor footwear and the landscapes on which his products will tread.
Throughout Tang’s childhood in Houston, Texas, the term “outdoor” carried a simple meaning: going outside. He grew to appreciate nature through sports, scrambling, hiking and climbing. Tang’s outdoor adventures coexisted with a respect for Jordans, art and NASA.
The inspiration for FRONTEER came when Tang was working as a footwear designer at Puma and then K-Swiss. The outdoor aspect of his life wasn’t represented in sneaker culture, and in the outdoor footwear space, he couldn’t find shoes that embraced the qualities he loved about sneakers: bright color, everyday wearability and metaphorical storytelling.
Seeing a void in the footwear game, Tang sought to create something authentic to the outdoors, that embodied the simplicity of getting outside, still felt at home in an urban environment and looked good. Eventually, collaborations with Manastash and Topo Designs bloomed. Dover Street Market and Kith came knocking, as did Backcountry.
We spoke with Tang to find out what inspires him, what FRONTEER is debuting in Spring 2019 and how he sees the future unfolding.
What was your introduction to hiking, climbing, camping and spending time in nature?
I grew up before the Internet, so it was natural to get out of the house and do something. Houston has good weather and a lot of land to explore. I also played a lot of soccer, and we often practiced and played games near a big forest and creek. I got acquainted with the seasons, the smells and the transformation of nature throughout the year.
What inspired FRONTEER’s Spring 2019 lineup? How does it build on previous seasons?
Spring 2019 is inspired by the space race. 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. It was a time of the ultimate exploration. I’m from Houston and have always had an affinity for space and NASA. Now more than ever, we are looking to the stars and beyond for inspiration. This season evolves from previous seasons by bringing in a new version of the Super Gratton, FRONTEER’s first style. It’s a new and improved version, and I’m happy to debut it with a space-inspired story.
As the founder of a relatively young brand, what does progress look like?
It’s not easy having your own brand, but it’s also rewarding and motivating to see people enjoy what you’ve created. That’s what keeps me going. The brand evolves every day. It has to. The market changes so fast now, so you have to learn to be flexible and mobile to evolve with it. You don’t want to change too much, but you also need to be able to bring something new. The future isn’t always a clear picture. It starts blurry. You do your best to guess what it might become and guide it. I just go with my gut feeling and never look back.
For more stories of invention, forward progress and space-travel-meets-outdoors, get your copy of RANGE Magazine Issue 10 HERE.
XX Rian Rhoe