Description:
Sneakers are a $100 billion business and a global obsession that started in the pages of a catalog called Eastbay.
This is a startup story unlike most you've read, but as instructive and inspiring as any of the rest. It's the story of two entrepreneurs with $4,000 worth of track shoes stuffed into an AMC Gremlin who eventually launched a mail-order catalog, Eastbay, that became a bible and a cultural icon to Gen X and Millennial kids. The catalog that was such a powerful and authentic tastemaker that pro athletes swore by it and a burgeoning generation of sneakerheads coveted it.
This is also the story of a company ahead of its time that understood the affirming power and cultural significance of sneakers. A company that mastered the mail-order business we take for granted today before most of us understood it. A company that never wavered from its mission as it grew fast, suffered massive setbacks, then grew even faster until the catalog reached tens of millions of kids across the world.
And this is the story of Art and Rick, born two days apart, bonded by the company they founded together and by a lifelong friendship that's lasted throughout a tumultuous, heady, difficult, exhilarating, frustrating, and ultimately profoundly rewarding career. Together they built a business that mattered, with as talented and devoted a team as any leaders could hope for.
In Eastbay, a generation of kids were encouraged to dream big and dream often, which is just what the founders were doing all along. This is their story.
Review Quotes:
Advance Praise for The Book of Eastbay:
"In many ways, Art Juedes, Rick Gering, and Eastbay gave Under Armour its start, right alongside me, Ryan Wood, and Kip Fulks. They were Under Armour's first customer and believed in us right away, at a time when Eastbay was the source for the best athletes. Reading this incredible story, it's easy to see why. There are a lot of fond memories here of my early days in the business, but there's also a lot to learn from these visionary entrepreneurs and businessmen." -- Kevin Plank, cofounder and Executive Chairman, Under Armour
"I still remember the joy that washed over me every time the Eastbay catalog landed in our mailbox. You didn't just flip through it--you devoured it. Every shoe, every cleat, every piece of gear felt like a discovery. Before I ever stepped onto an NFL field, before I earned a scholarship, Eastbay gave me something just as important: dreams made tangible. Eastbay was culture. It shaped generations of athletes long before social media, influencers, or online drops existed. The Eastbay founders weren't just entrepreneurs; they were storytellers, visionaries, and champions for every young athlete chasing a dream." -- Joe Thomas, left tackle, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Cleveland Browns; College Football Hall of Fame, Wisconsin Badgers
"A cool pair of sneakers, game jerseys, the best equipment--these are the things that connect young athletes to their sports and their heroes. Art and Rick built Eastbay, an iconic, deeply beloved brand, on an instinctual understanding of this magical connection long before many understood it. This book is a great read that shows what hard work and a driving passion can accomplish." -- Salvatore LaRocca, President of Global Partnerships, National Basketball Association