ICON didn’t start with ICON.

Back before I created it, before any of it, I was at Thor. I built out a new product design and development structure there. Not because anyone asked for it. Because it needed to exist. It became my proving ground.

As part of that process, I designed a series of motocross boots. Up to that point I had never designed an MX boot and at Fila I’d always had footwear developers to lean on. At Thor, it was just me. So I just dreamed it up and did it. They became the best-selling boots Thor ever made.

At the time, I wasn’t thinking about the bigger picture. I was just trying to do the job right and validate my ideas in the market. Looking back, it was the first real signal. That I could build product that wins. That the development structure I installed would hold. That if you get the systems right, the outcome follows.

You don’t always know when you’re laying the foundation for something bigger. Most of the time, you’re just trying to get it right. And every once in while you get enough of a win to keep you moving forward.