Josh Kalis Reflects on DC Signature Shoes and Shares Inspiration Behind His Latest, the 'Ascend'

Originally posted on TransWorld SKATEboarding
By Brian Blakely | Last updated Sep 25, 2024 1:20 PM ET

When I think of Josh Kalis, I think of a handful of things. LOVE Park, for one. The good old Alien days, for another. 360 flips, of course. Baggy denim? Sure, yep. And since we’re here—DC Shoes.

He hopped on Instagram recently and took us all on a little trip down memory lane, going through old boxes of his past DC pro model shoes to explain the inspiration behind his most recent DC signature model, the Ascend. This one is for the skate nerds and die-hard Kalis fans. Take a look:

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A post shared by Josh Kalis (@joshkalis)

Seeing some of these old kicks (and honestly, even the shoe boxes themselves) brought back some serious memories. For a second, I was back in middle school, skating in front of my house with some baggy jeans and a Flexfit (ha). The nostalgia is real. Kalis has pumped out some classic signature shoes over the years and the hits keep coming.

Although my style has changed many times over the years, these days, I’d be lying if I said I haven’t always been a little envious of the skaters who can rock kicks like this and naturally pull them off—let alone rip in them!

Anyways, I just thought this video was sick. It's always fun getting a little behind-the-scenes / history lesson from our favs. Kalis is still bringing the heat, too. His 360 flips are timeless. His private indoor plaza with the LOVE granite is a thing of beauty. And that spark for skateboarding that got him here in the first place continues to shine bright.

Thanks for the memories and the decades of inspiration, Josh! Never stop.

This article first appeared on TransWorld Skateboarding and was syndicated with permission.

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