In the sneaker world, to stay fresh and relevant is to “Stay Gold.” Benny Gold coined that phrase and actually lives it on the daily. It’s apparent through his work on sneakers and in his other projects. Few have had the impact with one shoe as he has had with co-collaborators Huf and Nike. And few have downplayed it so well and just kept it moving like nothing ever happened. While I could go on and on about his sneaker designs, clothing designs and logo work… Well, I just did. Lace ’em up for a few rounds with Mr. Benny Gold.

[Editor’s note: Yes, I do remember that Benny was part of the Mash SF biking article in the last issue. When you’re an editor drunk with power and really fine espresso, like I am, you can put Benny in every issue. Which is what I plan to do as long as Benny keeps his Midas touch. So deal with it (or don’t), and watch for Benny’s column in future issues. —PJC]

Gold isn’t your real last name, but what’s the story behind the moniker?
I used to design under the name Stay Gold. It’s about not losing sight of your youth. It’s important for me to remain youthful as I continue to grow. No matter how far you go in life, the basic things like skateboarding and riding your bike are what’s really important. I took on Gold as my last name as a nod to all the early punk rock bands. They all had their band names attached to their names. I like to think of it like the Ramones.

Most people probably know you from your many projects with the Huf store. How did you get plugged with Huf?
I met Keith Hufnagel when he moved back to SF to open his shops. He needed a logo for his new store. I’m really into logo projects and I was really excited to work on Huf’s. I find identity jobs extremely challenging. A successful logo embodies a company’s entire feeling and direction into one small mark that is immediately recognizable at first glance. I love the logo I created for Huf and it has lead to great opportunities for me. We have a great working relationship; we’re friends and we skate together on a regular basis. But recently, I cut back the amount of work I am doing with Huf to focus on my personal projects.

Let’s talk sneakers. Your main sneaker clients have been Nike, DVS, adidas and IPath. What’d you do for them?
My responsibilities for most of the sneakers I have worked on were to create a story for them. This usually includes the concept, logo mark, packaging and colorways. Once you have a story behind the shoe, the rest pretty much builds itself. I get really into expanding on a concept and seeing how far I can push it.

What was the whole controversy about with that adidas Adicolor Twist sneaker and accusations that the project was racist?
The Adicolor project was great. I was fortunate enough to work with one of my heroes, Barry McGee (aka Twist), on the project. When I met with him about the shoe, his only requirement was that he wanted his Ray Fong character on the shoe. Looking back I might have realized that it was a bit controversy, but I was so excited to work on a project with him that I didn’t care. He was also giving me free rein to do what I wanted with the shoe—I was stoked. The whole racist thing was lame. The character is something that Barry has been using for a while. Everyone got angry about the shoe and adidas pulled them off the shelves. By the time the shoe got pulled it was already sold out, so no real harm was done.

How important was the Nike Huf Quake to your career as a designer?
I put a lot into the Quake project from brainstorming the idea to completion. It has sort of become my claim-to-fame in a weird way. The next shoe project I get has a lot to live up to.

How do you feel about the mainstream sneaker industry playing off of the skate industry?
Who played off of whom? Most skate shoes are styled off classic Nikes like the Dunk and early Jordans. I think the mainstream sneaker industry is just capitalizing on what was originally theirs.

Where do you see the sneaker game next year?
Not really sure what’s going to happen next year. I know that the current trend is Vans. Who knows what’s after that? Only time will tell.

My favorite shoe of all time is easy: I’m an avid fan of Vans Half Cab. It looks super good on and it is the best shoe to skate in. You can never go wrong with a Half Cab. I hope they keep that shoe in their catalog forever. It should be a heritage shoe for Vans, like the Jordan is to Nike.

PULL QUOTE
Most skate shoes are styled off classic Nikes like the Dunk and early Jordans. I think the mainstream sneaker industry is just capitalizing on what was originally theirs.

This Article is also available in Vapors 49 - The Sneaks Issue