OPERATUS TEAM
I’ve always had a fascination with Vietnam-era combat equipment and uniforms. As a kid, that surplus fueled my imagination. That evolved into a design approach of integrating story and adventure into the products I create.
The recently released Operatus Team shoe is an example of that—based on the first Special Forces teams (hence the “Team” name) operating in Vietnam from 1965–1967. Every detail pulls directly from that period.
The white cotton name tape comes directly from early OG-107 uniforms (1965–1967), itself a carryover from the Korean War era. The tongue label uses an RPD reference—designed in the Soviet Union, built in China, fielded by the NVA, and later modified for use by American Special Forces.
The outsole graphic pulls from a hand-painted Vietnam-era SKS in my collection, reflecting the war from the other side. The insole carries a vintage Stars & Stripes map of Vietnam from 1965, at the start of the conflict.
Like many of my designs, it’s filled with references that may go unnoticed—but matter to me.
