K-Swiss
announced plans to launch a new skateboarding category for Spring 2010.
As part of the effort, K-Swiss has partnered with a team of design and
creative experts including Skate Legend Greg Lutzka, who has signed an
extended agreement to serve as the company’s new creative director of
skate.

A seven-year industry pro with countless titles under
his belt including a sweep of the 2009 Tampa Pro, Lutzka will work
part- time from the company's Westlake Village headquarters helping
drive the cultural and product platform for the K-Swiss Skate program
along with a dedicated brand management and design team.

“Skate
has always been a compelling category for us since it is truly native
to California. We feel we can bring something fresh and sustainable to
the marketplace with a grassroots approach and the right mix of
talent,” said David Nichols, executive vice president of K-Swiss.
“We’re in a solid position to build and support a cultural,
athlete-driven program that helps grow the sport and community over the
next several years. We have some of the industry’s leading design
talent on board, you’ll see some unexpected product and
community-building plays from K-Swiss.”

The initial Spring 2010
collection will include a collection of men's-specific performance and
lifestyle footwear aimed at the specialty retail channel, including a
Lutzka Signature shoe.

K-Swiss has formed a skate-specific
design team to collaborate with athletes including the internal design
experts behind last year’s MiSOUL midsole technology introduction.

The
company said it has some inherent design properties that naturally lend
to skate product functionality. K-Swiss' proprietary three-piece toe
construction is ideally suited for ollie protection, one of the most
important durability elements in skate footwear. New applications of
the brand’s iconic five stripe signature will be integrated into the
initial collection, lending a fresh, but familiar design element to the
program.

“I have a great opportunity to build a skate program
with K-Swiss that has the potential to be really huge. I'm also helping
build out a flawless skate team of pros and ams,” said Lutzka. “I think
the industry will be surprised at what comes out of this crew.”