it's a question that feels like an eternal grail, and its answer is undoubtedly as much a matter of experience as it is a form of magic. one must be able to grasp what belongs to the times, to design, but also-and above all-to comfort. a kind of holy trinity that lies at the heart of east pacific trade's obsession.

"our sneakers must be high-performing products for everyday ur-ban use. they must be both technical and sophisticated. our designs must be understandable and wearable. it's a philosophy," jai baek, the founder of the brand born in south korea in 2017, likes to say.

to put it plainly, at ept, there is no sneaker without comfort. this criterion is the subject of work that is both tangible and scientific. each model's insole consists of four distinct layers made from different materials with varying firmness levels. this unique formula creates the best possible balance.

"The distribution of pressure points across the foot is optimal. The comfort is immediately noticeable as soon as you put the sneaker on.

There is no need to overdo it to feel it," says Jai Baek.

he knows what he is talking about: his story in the world of footwear is about a perfectionist who has never stopped questioning the technology behind what makes a shoe.

in 1977, at just 27 years old and with very little to his name, jai baek arrived in san diego, california, and found a small job with a humble cobbler. behind the counter, he learned how to bring shoes back to life by deconstructing every detail, learning everything about their complexity. for him, it became a passion. so much so that he soon earned a diploma as an orthopedic footwear technician and then spent nearly ten years crafting such models. this expertise, as rare as it is valuable, has always guided him throughout his professional experiences: a founding member and senior creative lea-der at dc shoes, the legendary californian skate footwear label; the foun-der and president of creative recreations, hollywood's first hype sneaker brand endorsed by kanye west in the early 2000s; and as the ceo of huf, jai led the skate lifestyle brand to grow into a global footwear and apparel phenomenon.

jai baek still imagines his shoe designs, sources materials, and creates new forms. in his field, jai baek is an avant-gardist, and east pacific trade strives to be just the same. this journey was forged in its early days, long ago, by a young man's desire to anchor himself to the power of the ameri-can dream. jai baek wanted to build a life and live from his passion on this side of the world. nearly fifty years after that unexpected stop in a califor-nian neighborhood cobbler's shop, the launch and development of east pacific trade unfolds-just as its name suggests-like a playful echo. after the american dream comes the idea of a distinctly korean art of shoema-king: delicate, technical, and sincere, seeking to lay out its emotions and its models across the world.

interview with jai baek by raphaël malkin