Breaking News: Eric Koston leaving Lakai Footwear

by L.A. Ruano, April 13, 2009

Three years after leaving long-time sponsor eS and joining Lakai, it looks like Eric Koston has once again changed his mind. The news officially broke today via Lakai’s website. The brand says the decision was mutual and even held a press conference to give their comrade a proper farewell. No official word has been announced regarding possible destinations but it looks like he’ll be ducking a good amount of shoes in the process. Check it out!

Trackbacks

  1. Posted by: P-Rod brings in the links | NiceKicks.com on April 13, 2009 at 10:31 pm

    [...] Koston leaves Lakai?  I smell a sweet PR campaign [Hype Beast] [...]

71 Responses

  1. Posted by: vk on April 22, 2009 at 5:04 am

    why did he leave???

  2. Posted by: the all knowing on April 17, 2009 at 11:20 pm

    I honestly think he won’t go to nike. Maybe cuz he likes basketball if he does. I think he will go to Converse or start his own company. He should ride for an up and coming company like converse or gravis. my boy jake johnson is on gravis and he rode for my local shop but idk. es is also a possibility if they give him half of the company. All in all i will support any company he is on Frosty’s the man

  3. Posted by: Jiggaboo on April 16, 2009 at 10:57 pm

    How the in the fuck is this breaking news?! Why should I care?

  4. Posted by: hah on April 16, 2009 at 1:45 pm

    “The video is fake, look at the graphics, the fucking glasses… doesnt he co-own Lakai?? Anyway I remember when people said LAKAI was a part of Nike because if you take the LAKAI logo turn it upside down cut off a bit it turns into the nike swoosh ?!?”

    wtf are you talking about? Do you remember what they did when he got on Lakai? They did the same thing. And you don’t have to ride for a company because you co-own it. And to people saying he left because they couldnt pay him enough, well, you are idiots also. Koston KNOWS how much they pay him. And he knows they are better off spending that money else where, especially in this rough economy. They could do alot to build up other people with that money. Koston is rich as shit, he woudlnt leave a company he CO-OWNS because they wont pay him enough.

  5. Posted by: buddamakeszen on April 16, 2009 at 2:11 am

    publicity hype…. koston hi top is on the way….

    or my crack is too strong and he’s going to vans …

    or the heroin isnt strong enough and he’s moving sideways to dvs to crank out more berrics collabo shit.

    or i’m too sober and its something else … its all fun anyways

  6. Posted by: Glisterine on April 16, 2009 at 1:49 am

    Nuck Fike. Koston would never sell his sole to that evil co.

  7. Posted by: Angelo.Raw on April 15, 2009 at 9:49 pm

    this shit is fake did u guys see the ending how that guy throws a shoe??

  8. Posted by: Keith on April 15, 2009 at 2:28 pm

    i can’t wait for them pro mods to drop later in the year.
    its bout to be poppin up in her, ya herd!
    Vans r sick, lakaiz be better tho, but them cons r tight to, ya no wat i meen

  9. Posted by: Cory on April 15, 2009 at 9:23 am

    When koston left és for lakai he said that the only shoe company he would ride other than és would be lakai. so he is going back to és

  10. Posted by: unknown on April 14, 2009 at 9:14 pm

    If this is a joke, why is koston not on the lakai site anymore? i dont see his name on the team page.

  11. Posted by: BKE420 on April 14, 2009 at 4:42 pm

    full on hyped out bs.

  12. Posted by: jama on April 14, 2009 at 3:51 pm

    this joke will be so much better once you all realize you were wrong and it’s fake

  13. Posted by: gnar gnar on April 14, 2009 at 2:59 pm

    koston is not going onto DVS he said that he is not going onto a company under podium distribution and DVS is under podium distribution so there is no chance of that

  14. Posted by: ballss on April 14, 2009 at 2:57 pm

    SIKE. hes on DC

  15. Posted by: ballss on April 14, 2009 at 2:56 pm

    converseeeeee

  16. Posted by: SFA on April 14, 2009 at 1:03 pm

    none of you know shit about skating. so please stop trying. so much of what was said here regaruding team mates, parent companies, ect. was all wrong. just because skating spawned this horrid thing called streetwear doesnt mean were down with you clowns, or that you know anything about skating just because you bought some SB’s or because you saw something on a fucking blog.

    LIFER

  17. Posted by: MIKESB on April 14, 2009 at 12:00 pm

    KOSTON BRAND IN THE MAKES? Im skating the EK1 Remake Lakai’s n they are the gnar !!!

  18. Posted by: Patrick Bateman on April 14, 2009 at 11:58 am

    JORDAN SB…

  19. Posted by: JIm on April 14, 2009 at 11:57 am

    The video is fake, look at the graphics, the fucking glasses… doesnt he co-own Lakai?? Anyway I remember when people said LAKAI was a part of Nike because if you take the LAKAI logo turn it upside down cut off a bit it turns into the nike swoosh ?!?

  20. Posted by: Keith on April 14, 2009 at 11:37 am

    yea im tha rep for lakai and i know frosty and hes going to Vans…belive it or not
    Not much word on when tha news will break but do know that his Promodel will be out in Nov.

  21. Posted by: Andy Dunn on April 14, 2009 at 11:26 am

    yea yea im tha rep for lakai and i know frosty and hes going to Vans…belive it or not
    Promodel out in Nov.

  22. Posted by: danny jones on April 14, 2009 at 11:24 am

    yep for sure Vans!!! no nike BS!! ill be gettin those new koston pro models in the near future

  23. Posted by: cody smith on April 14, 2009 at 11:21 am

    yea yea im tha rep for lakai and i know frosty and he is going to Vans…believe it or not

    pro modle out in Nov. YEAH FROSTY

  24. Posted by: cody smith on April 14, 2009 at 11:18 am

    it true Vans!!! pro modle out in Nov. YEAH FROSTY

  25. Posted by: money jones on April 14, 2009 at 11:16 am

    yea yea im tha rep for lakai and i know tha frostman and he is going to vans…believe it or not

  26. Posted by: Black Chanler on April 14, 2009 at 11:08 am

    and the plot thickens lol

  27. Posted by: Travis on April 14, 2009 at 10:25 am

    go ahead and do it koston, NIKE BABIE!!!
    or like gnar gnar said rerelease the koston3…..

  28. Posted by: Jeff on April 14, 2009 at 10:05 am

    From a good source, Koston is not really leaving Lakai. He’s heading up a new division and will have an equity stake.

  29. Posted by: zito on April 14, 2009 at 10:02 am

    remember skateboarding? koston is one of my fav skateboarders because he is innovative & skates excellent & most importantly, always seems to be having a blast skating with his bros. i couldnt give less of a shit who is signing his paychecks or which sneaks his name will be on. i dig the dude & his skating skills, & thats that.

  30. Posted by: Mike on April 14, 2009 at 9:47 am

    Only because nike sb will pay him more…

  31. Posted by: S-hole on April 14, 2009 at 9:26 am

    I hope Axion is coming back, and I hope they remake all there shoes exactly the same. I wanna see the Mariano’s and the Triads, and KCK’s … love them.

  32. Posted by: i-skate on April 14, 2009 at 6:44 am

    its not a hoax apprently
    we have word from the big guys that he left lakai because they couldnt pay him what he was asking for.
    koston said a number of years back. ” if nike was to pay be a large sum id wear a swoosh across my chest.”
    and the text we got is that yes, he is going to be on nike. so eat your hearts out.
    maybe he just wants to retire eventually like the rest of us and needed a raise…..

  33. Posted by: maxl rose on April 14, 2009 at 5:12 am

    Fuck all of you I am callin my homey in Taipei cause he works for LAKAI and he will tell me what all you retards think you know. LOL!!! Its all who you know bitches!!!

  34. Posted by: DownWithOPP on April 14, 2009 at 3:23 am

    Lmao, Love the shoe tossing

  35. Posted by: panda666 on April 14, 2009 at 2:59 am

    yeah, go to NIKE SB team…so my favorite ak8er will wears my favorite shoes…lol…

  36. Posted by: mr. E on April 14, 2009 at 2:56 am

    i think they were jus bluffin….i mean at the end its pretty funny how the guy throws the shoes like at the george bush speech hahahahaha

  37. Posted by: Special Edition on April 14, 2009 at 2:33 am

    Are you kidding?
    Didi you ever heard something about viral marketing?
    That´s one of the spots which is going around….
    and lakai is promoting the new shoe coming out.
    OMG how can “streetwknowledge” guys like you on here can be so dumb…

  38. Posted by: Teh Suck on April 14, 2009 at 1:52 am

    NO. ONE. CARES.

    –>

  39. Posted by: hades on April 14, 2009 at 12:32 am

    NIKE SB RUNS THE WORLD!

  40. Posted by: Swr on April 13, 2009 at 11:45 pm

    Supposing the Axion rumor is true, wouldn’t fellow lakai guy, Guy Mariano–og Axion rider– seem like a logical ship-jumping mate?

  41. Posted by: H. on April 13, 2009 at 11:45 pm

    i think hes definitely gonna go with Nike…the payout will be HUGE, plus hell mos def get his own sneaker very quickly.

  42. Posted by: mr snow on April 13, 2009 at 11:12 pm

    oh shit, my bad. forgot fourstar and lakai aren’t linked – they just have many of the same riders/affiliates. At any rate, he’ll still be in skate videos with all the old crew i’m guessing.
    sorry for the bad info!

  43. Posted by: Alan on April 13, 2009 at 11:01 pm

    lol nike sb.
    what a fool.
    he should go to dvs since he’s good friends with tim gavin.

  44. Posted by: ronnieee on April 13, 2009 at 10:46 pm

    haha I honestly dont think there is any hate towards both parties, the dudes at lakai are oviously still gonna be homies with him and he will do the same. Mike carroll and brandon biebel are both his girl teammates and both ride for lakai. I dont believe he will ride for nike sb or adidas i just cant see him on those teams.

  45. Posted by: Julian on April 13, 2009 at 10:30 pm

    I think he ganna go to Dvs like Steve berra.

  46. Posted by: know future on April 13, 2009 at 10:29 pm

    fact:4 star clothing is not the same as four star dist.

  47. Posted by: Kadoma on April 13, 2009 at 10:26 pm

    My money is on Lakai forming a sister company, with Koston at the helm.

  48. Posted by: Flock on April 13, 2009 at 10:23 pm

    There is no FourStar Corp. It’s called Girl Distribution. Why would Koston ask for more pay when Lakai is part of Girl Distribution? If anything, Girl Dis. is going to start another shoe division. He will for sure not join Nike SB.

  49. Posted by: FOR GOOD on April 13, 2009 at 9:52 pm

    It’s a hoax. Why would Lakai advertise the loss of their most profitable and valuable team member? There are no benefits awarded to Lakai by revealing that Koston has left, thus it would be a retarded business move on Lakai’s part. Just like how Hollywood celebrities flash their scum swollen cooches to endorse their career, it makes most sense that this is just a advertisement to build up hype for a Lakai product. Additionally, to my knowledge, it doesn’t seem like Koston, has any beef with anyone on Lakai, so I doubt he would leave because of personal reasons. Finally, I would like to believe that Koston is not a sell out. You can see it through his skating and the guys that he associates himself with that the dude isn’t down for exploiting skating. He even states “if Nike was like, here’s an offer for you, I don’t know, I wouldn’t do it, it would just be sketchy. I wouldn’t, I couldn’t trust that, especially with skating” (http://www.sublimited.net/skateboard-industry-news/eric-koston-interview-on-sole.html).

    THE VIDEO IS FAKE. DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE!

  50. Posted by: Black Chanler on April 13, 2009 at 9:12 pm

    I think everybody knows that the press conference is a joke, but him leaving could be very true. Or it could be a marketing gimmick for some new kostons.

  51. Posted by: belacan on April 13, 2009 at 8:21 pm

    i think he should go for nike s.b

  52. Posted by: AXION on April 13, 2009 at 8:10 pm

    AXION will be back before January 2010. Keep your eyes peeled for the team that is soon to be announced.

  53. Posted by: anthony on April 13, 2009 at 7:57 pm

    okay, the vid is obv fake people, they just wanted to make light of the situation while making koston look like an asshead at the same time, but he is really leaving, he isnt on the lakai site anymore and this vid is on theberrics,com, and the video is even titled, This is not a joke.

  54. Posted by: mr.fro on April 13, 2009 at 7:15 pm

    lol lakai gives n Iraqi farewell to koston i got money on nike
    possibles pro shoe in the works or some incentive

  55. Posted by: dan on April 13, 2009 at 7:12 pm

    Well it doesn’t look real, but really, who gives a shit either way.

  56. Posted by: gnar gnar on April 13, 2009 at 7:10 pm

    lakai didn’t buy axion the distribution company that owns circa did and axion is coming out with shoes holiday 2009 which is a long time away.

  57. Posted by: 666 on April 13, 2009 at 7:04 pm

    This story is true.
    Lakai couldn’t afford to pay what Koston was asking.

    Mr. Snow.
    That statement you made is false.
    FourStar Distribution, owners of C1RCA, bought the rights to Axion and will be releasing in January of 2010.

  58. Posted by: Sk8san on April 13, 2009 at 6:56 pm

    Hi guys,
    I think it’s true,coz i just checked Lakai Team page and found that they had removed Eric’s page…
    Where is he going?

  59. Posted by: nudist on April 13, 2009 at 6:49 pm

    well he still seems to be on the 4star family which is pretty much chocolate and lakai. Joke? Publicity stunt? I think so.

  60. Posted by: dave on April 13, 2009 at 6:47 pm

    weird news to be posted on a mainly streetwear oriented site. but still, to bad he’s leaving, fallen is the ovious choice for him.

  61. Posted by: Seppe on April 13, 2009 at 6:25 pm

    Lol nice imitation of Muntadhar al-Zaidi

  62. Posted by: nike is gay hypbeasts on April 13, 2009 at 6:17 pm

    lakai is starting another division he will be on.

  63. Posted by: Venom (www.mamasmule.com) on April 13, 2009 at 6:16 pm

    How can u guys actually believe this is true??

  64. Posted by: adrnlthr on April 13, 2009 at 6:13 pm

    marketing.

  65. Posted by: Bolla on April 13, 2009 at 6:07 pm

    its for his new shoe model coming out.
    great marketing strategy!

  66. Posted by: beth on April 13, 2009 at 6:04 pm

    i dont think it is a joke.
    i just think he wanted to go out with some humor so people dont think he is leaving for a bad reason.

  67. Posted by: westside on April 13, 2009 at 6:03 pm

    thats not real

  68. Posted by: mr snow on April 13, 2009 at 6:03 pm

    if he is actually going, he’s going to axion footwear. lakai just bought the old company and they’re revamping the team and brand.

  69. Posted by: gnar gnar on April 13, 2009 at 5:46 pm

    i saw this on the berrics i hope he goes back to es and remakes the koston 3 those shoes were dope. the end of that video made me laugh too

  70. Posted by: *Pbbt! on April 13, 2009 at 5:42 pm

    aww man what the…

    put money up hes goin to either nike or adidas now

  71. Posted by: Cory on April 13, 2009 at 5:21 pm

    You guys realize this is a joke, right? Come on!