SeaVees

In 1964, BF Goodrich debuted a line of rubber-soled shoes called SeaVees. Billed as “the new way to go casual,” SeaVees was the original attempt to capture the laid back spirit of 1960s California beach culture in a pair of sneakers. And then, just seven years later, the SeaVees brand vanished, like a set of footprints washed out in the rising tide.  Forty years later, what was old would become new again. Just before his fortieth birthday, shoe designer Steven Tiller was living well in the Boston area, but he couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that he wasn’t being true to himself. He couldn’t suppress the idea that something was out there, waiting for him. Tiller bought plane tickets and began drifting in and out of vintage stores around the world. In Japan, awash in sea of vintage Americana, Tiller saw something in a glass case he’d never even heard of. It was the first pair of SeaVees he’d ever seen.  Back home he dug through archives, magazines, and journals—leading him down a path to the short lived 1964 BF Goodrich brand that broke ground by distilling the California lifestyle into a shoe. Tiller had found what he was looking for, or rather, it had found him. He sold nearly everything he owned and with his family moved across the country in search of his own California dream. In a Santa Barbara studio he breathed new life into the old sneakers, and the SeaVees brand was reborn.  Today, the SeaVees product line is built on a foundation of the original Legend Sneaker. Available in the same four colors featured in the 1964 advertising campaign, the Legend is a stitch-by-stitch recreation of the original. Taking further inspiration from the free spirited 1960s culture, the line has been expanded to include additional colors, fabrics, and dressier models such as the men’s 3-Eye Chukka and the women’s Bayside Sandal. With its uniquely authentic origins and iconic design, it seems SeaVees is poised to join the ranks of timeless footwear brands like Vans and Sperry’s. “California,” according to Tiller, “is a global idea.”

In 1964, BF Goodrich debuted a line of rubber-soled shoes called SeaVees. Billed as “the new way to go casual,” SeaVees was the original attempt to capture the laid back spirit of 1960s California beach culture in a pair of sneakers. And then, just seven years later, the SeaVees brand vanished, like a set of footprints washed out in the rising tide. 

Forty years later, what was old would become new again. Just before his fortieth birthday, shoe designer Steven Tiller was living well in the Boston area, but he couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that he wasn’t being true to himself. He couldn’t suppress the idea that something was out there, waiting for him. Tiller bought plane tickets and began drifting in and out of vintage stores around the world. In Japan, awash in sea of vintage Americana, Tiller saw something in a glass case he’d never even heard of. It was the first pair of SeaVees he’d ever seen. 

Back home he dug through archives, magazines, and journals—leading him down a path to the short lived 1964 BF Goodrich brand that broke ground by distilling the California lifestyle into a shoe. Tiller had found what he was looking for, or rather, it had found him. He sold nearly everything he owned and with his family moved across the country in search of his own California dream. In a Santa Barbara studio he breathed new life into the old sneakers, and the SeaVees brand was reborn. 

Today, the SeaVees product line is built on a foundation of the original Legend Sneaker. Available in the same four colors featured in the 1964 advertising campaign, the Legend is a stitch-by-stitch recreation of the original. Taking further inspiration from the free spirited 1960s culture, the line has been expanded to include additional colors, fabrics, and dressier models such as the men’s 3-Eye Chukka and the women’s Bayside Sandal. With its uniquely authentic origins and iconic design, it seems SeaVees is poised to join the ranks of timeless footwear brands like Vans and Sperry’s. “California,” according to Tiller, “is a global idea.”

Tin Grey

Slate Navy

Black

Natural

Blue Mirage

10.5

11.0

11.5

13.0

10.0

12.0 Baja Slip On Classic Shoe - Men's

Cactus

Golden Rod

Bleach

Red Ochre

Monterey Classic Sneaker - Women's

Ocean

Seaweed

Legend Seachange Sneaker - Men's

Elmwood

Mammoth Boot - Men's

Marine

White

Baja Slip On Classic Shoe - Women's

Khaki Camouflage

Pavement

Hawthorne Suede Slip On Shoe - Men's

Hermosa Plimsoll Classic Shoe - Men's

Sixty Six Classic Sneaker - Men's

Evergreen

Hermosa Sneaker - Men's

Sage Camouflage

Monterey Saltwash Shoe - Men's

Legend Sneaker Pride Sneaker - Women's

Camel

Mauve

Olive

Ocean Park Mule - Women's

Pink

Legend 90 Shoe - Women's

Laguna Chelsea Boot - Women's

Sahara

Legend 90 Shoe - Men's

Legend Sneaker Pride Sneaker - Men's

Vacation Stripe

Legend Sneaker - Men's

True Navy

Granite Grey

Legend Classic Sneaker - Men's

Hawthorne Slip On Classic Shoe - Women's

Legend Classic Sneaker - Women's

White/Summer Gum

Wilder Sneaker - Women's

Legend Seachange Sneaker - Women's

Baja Slip On Saltwash Shoe - Men's

Navy

Sixty Six Shoe - Women's

Solana Sandal - Women's

Westwood Classic Sneaker - Men's

Amber

Baja Slip On Platform Shoe - Women's

Military Olive Nylon

Army Issue Low Classic Shoe - Women's

Hermosa Plimsoll Surfwash Shoe - Men's

Desert

Night

California Special Suede Shoe - Men's

Grey Khaki Canvas

Black Canvas

Monterey Classic Sneaker - Men's

Greyboard

Huntington Middie Shoe - Women's

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