Meet Tuan Le. The legendary shoe designer behind icons such as the Merrell Moab, Reebok Freestyle, Mizuno Wave, AND1 Tai Chi and more. Tuan Le has been working in close collaboration with Philip Curry, Astral’s Founder, CEO + Head of Product, to design groundbreaking shoes such as the Nosobo and Techyak.
ASTRAL // You left Vietnam at a young age, how do you stay connected to Vietnam? How does that connection inspire your designs?
TUAN LE // I left Vietnam when I was 15 years old. My 15th birthday was at a refugee camp at the U.S. Marines Base, Camp Pendleton, near SanDiego.
My family was my only connection to my old life. We always try our best to be Americans, but our food, stories, songs and culture were all Vietnamese. After 50 years here, we do our very best to speak with each other in our own language. My mother was a high school teacher so we always have to use proper grammar and pronunciation. Food is also a major reason for us to get together, cook and tell stories. My children can’t speak Vietnamese but do understand quite a bit of the conversation. The story of food is important within our family.
ASTRAL // How did you go from communicating via drawing to designing products via drawing?
TUAN LE // Just as any family, my mom wanted us to do well in school and become professionals such as Doctors, Lawyers…. I refused to follow, so I went the opposite way and pursued arts instead. In my last year of college, an art professor recommended me to enter a design contest for a fashion design school in New York City. The winning student got a full year of fashion design school for free, equivalent to a Master of Arts Degree. I won!
ASTRAL // What was the first product you designed?
TUAN LE // Fashion design was never my thing, but I realized that it would open many career doors, especially in New York. I did eventually find my perfect job, in Boston for a little company called Reebok. There was no such thing as a shoe designer job. The shoe makers described to me their ideas and I put it down on paper. Shoes were being made in Korea, so a full tech pack was very important to describe the designs that you will achieve. Around 1985, there was a social phenomenon called “Aerobics” and Reebok was the first company to introduce the aerobic shoes called the Freestyle. That shoe started my shoe career. I finally called myself a shoe designer, proudly!
ASTRAL // What’s the biggest difference in designing shoes v apparel?
TUAN LE // The biggest difference between a clothing designer and a shoe guy is the knowledge of mold making. It’s a big financial investment in a company so you have to know what you are doing and communicate with overseas manufacturing.
ASTRAL // Where do you source inspiration for your designs from?
TUAN LE // Fortunately I was in a sports category of shoes, sourcing ideas to help a person run faster, jump higher, hike longer are a lot easier than designing the coolest shoe! In sports, when the functions are correct, the shoes will be cool already.
ASTRAL // The Merrell Moab remains one of the best selling shoes in the history of the outdoor industry, what sparked that design for you?
TUAN LE // Just as special as Philip to work with for Astral, I had the pleasure of working with a few very special knowledgeable product persons, hence some amazing results. The Merrell Moab, the UGG classic boots, AND1 Tai Chi, Mizuno Waves…. Thanks go to my special product friends who helped them become reality.
ASTRAL // What are listening to this summer?
TUAN LE // SZA
TUAN LE COLLECTION
Nosobo
World’s first rechargeable trail shoe that redefines the standard of performance, cushioning and durability.
Techyak
Techyak™ blends rechargeable comfort and durability into a naturally shaped, minimalist trail shoe.
Crewer
Crewer™ introduces a new level of ventilated performance and style to the coastal, summer sneaker.