Sam Fishman is the founder and CEO of Stede Threads, a Boston based sustainable headwear company that strives to keep skateboarding on their customers’ minds through their hand-crafted quality hats. Stede sources retired local skateboard decks and hand sews a small piece of the wood onto each hat. By repurposing the worn out decks, Stede’s products preserve and carry on each deck’s unique...
Sam Fishman is the founder and CEO of Stede Threads, a Boston based sustainable headwear company that strives to keep skateboarding on their customers’ minds through their hand-crafted quality hats. Stede sources retired local skateboard decks and hand sews a small piece of the wood onto each hat. By repurposing the worn out decks, Stede’s products preserve and carry on each deck’s unique story. A percentage of Stede’s profits are allocated to go towards building local skate park developments in the city of Boston.
If you want to connect with Stede Threads, you can find them online here:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/stedethreads
Instagram: @stedethreads
Twitter: @stedethreads
Web: www.stedethreads.com
STATE: How did you come up with the idea for Stede?
Sam: Growing up skating, I always had a closet full of old skateboards. One day my mom threw them all out and I was devastated. When I moved out, I vowed to recycle the old decks in my apartment. I also saw a build up in my friend’s apartments and at the local skate shop; a lot of the time they would end up getting tossed. Skaters are pretty style conscious, and headwear is a big accessory, and I personally have always loved hats. Incorporating the recycled boards onto hats seemed like the logical next step. We keep skateboarding on your mind!
STATE: Why is recycling so important to you?
Sam: Skateboarding is such a creative process. And so is the way we recycle these boards. Our hats are a way to keep the board’s adventures alive instead of being trashed. Not only are we saving these boards from the landfill, we’re putting them back into the community. We also plan to use a percent of profit towards local skate park developments and lessons for at risk youth. We’re really trying to keep skateboarding full circle.
STATE: How does Stede blur the lines between hard and soft-goods?
Sam: Stede’s blurring the lines by incorporating wood from recycled skateboards onto hats. We plan to extend the line in the future to integrate recycled skateboards into other apparel pieces. We want skaters to feel more connected to what they wear.