Sneaker designer Brandon Brubaker: Remaining tapped into culture is a business advantage

Brandon Brubaker, co-founder of the 10-year-old SoCal sneaker brand Clearweather, is somewhat of a sneaker legend. In the sneaker game for 30 years, he first designed iconic sneaker styles for Vans after being recruited by the company at age 20. He then went on to launch the multimillion-dollar skate sneaker division at Nike-owned Converse. Today, Brubaker is hitting the gas on growing his own company, with a fresh round of funding, a new business partner, a relaunched website and big plans for international expansion. He’s intentionally taking a unique approach to the market, which, so far, has served his brand well. “[We decided] to stop trying to fight for dollars with Nike, which completely dominates everything, when it really comes down to it,” he said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “Instead, we want to just be a really premium California culture brand, and that's where we're at today." Also on the podcast, Brubaker discusses how the sneaker market is faring and what it takes to maintain relevance in the crowded, competitive industry.