Lucas Puig, a 29-year-old Frenchman, has been skating professionally since he was a teenager, but it wasn’t until 2012 that the international star got his first adidas signature shoe.
Simply named the adidas Lucas Puig, the sneaker had a prominent placement on "Best of " sneaker lists, earning props for its sophisticated yet sporty style. It makes sense, then, that four years later, that looks and aesthetic are paramount when it comes to his skate shoes.
We caught up with Puig during his recovery from a torn ACL to talk about his brand new adidas Lucas Premiere ADV model, his opening spot in adidas' Away Days video, and more.
You’ve had a handful of adidas shoes before. What did it feel like to get your first one and what makes the new Lucas Premiere ADV different from the rest?
When I saw my name on the first sneaker, I was just so proud for all my family and friends. For the people who don’t skate, when you have a skate shoe, they don’t get it. But when it’s adidas, you know, they see that you are a big star. They’re like, “How the fuck is this possible?” You know? So, I was really proud of that one.
With the Premiere ADV, we tried to really focus on the looks. I wanted to have a shoe that fit with my lifestyle; one that I can wear going to the beach, going to the restaurant, and skating.
How involved are you in the design of your sneakers?
Luckily, they asked me from the beginning how I was feeling, about what I wanted to do. They asked me what was my style, whatever. We started from the bottom. I told them that I wanted a shoe, like I was telling you, that I can wear all the time. So they tried to do that and I think they did it, and I’m super happy with the result.
What do you think is more important in a skate sneaker: technology and performance, or style and looks? Why?
The style and the looks for sure, man. All the time, a skater wants to be fashionable. Some skaters have the tricks, but they have the wrong style, and people don’t like it, you know? If you have fuckin’ stinky shoes and you do fuckin’ good tricks, you’re gonna lose some points, you know?
What sneakers did you skate in growing up?
I started to get some free shoes from eS Skateboarding when I was younger, so I skated in a bunch of eS. And then after I was skating for Lakai for a long time, and then finally, I skated for adidas.
What’s your favorite non-skateboarding sneaker and why?
I think my favorite one is the Stan Smith, because it’s been here forever and it didn’t change. I was wearing it when I was 12 years old, and I’m still wearing it now that I’m 29 and it just feels the same. I feel like I’m really fashionable when I wear it. It just feels good. In Europe too, it’s so big.
Have you had a chance to try any of adidas’ Boost sneakers?
Yeah for sure, especially right now when I’m doing the physical therapy for my knee—I’m really enjoying the soft Boost. It’s really different from what we’re used to, whether it’s skate shoes or walking shoes. This one is really made for your feet to feel good.
Would you like to see it used in a skate shoe in the future? Or is it too soft?
It’s so different. For skating, the high sole is really scary for your ankle, you know? Besides that, I don’t care, the softness doesn’t matter. It’s more about the heel.
What did you think when you saw skater Piro Sierra destroy a pair of Yeezy Boost 350s while skateboarding last summer?
I thought it was fucking cool, man. Everybody is fucking tripping on the price of the shoes, and nobody can get their hands on it. So many people want it, and they can’t have it. And this guy just fucking ruined a pair in an hour. I like the message, you know, it’s just a shoe. It’s made to get used, you know? So I thought it was funny—I was fucking tripping.
You were just featured in adidas “Away Days” with some other really great skaters and you actually kicked off the video. What was it like working on this one, and how did it feel to have your part featured first in the clip?
Working on it was really good because I knew all the team, and we used to run tricks together before they shot the video. We are all hyped because we knew we were gonna do our tricks together, so that was really good.
Then after I hurt myself, it was like...don’t even think about having the first or the last parts. Because, you know, the guys on the team had been working so hard, so I was expecting nothing.
Then, at the premiere, I see the surprise [that I was first], and I was just like, "Fuck, they are really the best." The people who made the video and everything, they just said nothing to me and gave me this present. I couldn’t ask for more—I was really touched.
So you didn’t even know you were featured first until you saw the premiere?
Oh no, no. They never told me. They would be like, “You’re going to have a surprise, don’t worry Lucas. Don’t stress, it’s gonna be fine.” So I was just like, okay, they look happy about it, so enough stressing. And then I saw my part and I was like fuck, I’m the first one, it’s crazy. I was really proud.
You’ve been with adidas for six years now. Are there any moments or sneakers that stick out in your mind as a favorite?
At the time I got on the team, there was the adidas Skate model, and I already thought it was the best shoe of the moment. And now I’m skating for this company, so I was just skating these shoes and wearing them for a year straight. After wearing regular skate shoes, I was just feeling so lucky to have the adidas shoes on my feet.
Where do you see things [with adidas] going in the future?
I’m hoping it’s going to stay like this. We’ve been working for six years together now and it’s been so good. I’m just trying to do my best, and I hope that they’re happy about everything. I hope it continues like this. I can’t complain; I can’t ask for more.
The adidas Lucas Premier ADV releases at select adidas Skateboarding retailers on July 1.
