David Ortiz

Born and raised on New York City skate culture and punk rock, Dave Ortiz has taken his eccentric tastes to the next level, creating a clothing brand and boutique unrivaled by anything on earth. A butcher shop that sells sneakers? Unheard of, you think. Lots of people could not wrap their heads around the concept (especially the real life butcher that walked in looking for a job).

In tandem with New York City skate legend Chris Keeffe, Ortiz’s DQM consistently produces hits in the form of hats, hoodies and tees, as well as serious collaborations with all the major footwear giants. On any given day, you can walk into this friendly neighborhood butcher shop in the Bowery, and Dave will treat you to some delightful tales of early New York City skate history, CBGB’s and BMX warfare.

 

Name: David Ortiz (Not the baseball player)
Age: “Dirty-8” (or in English, 38)
Location: Money-taking Manhattan, NY
[www.davesqualitymeat.com]

DUB: For those of us that don’t know, what did you do before you started Dave’s Quality Meat?
David: Before I started Dave’s Quality Meat, I was working for Zoo York Skate Boards. This is way before the Ecko brand exploited that label, but ouch...

DUB: How many “theme shops” have you heard of today?
David: I’ve heard of many theme shops after mine. I wouldn’t give any names of these shops that bit my style…I don’t want to give props to losers like that.

DUB: You surprised kids last year with a second release of your Bacon Air Max 90s. Can we expect any more surprise AM90s?
David: Well, there is no more Air Max 90 Bacon. I can assure you on that, so if you got a pair, and you are an Air 90 fan, take care of them…don’t be like me and screw them up like I do to all of my sneakers. I guess I got spoiled owning a shop thinking, “Yeah, I’ll get another,” but when it comes to Bacon, those joints are gone, DOH! But, on a side note, there is some new stuff in production that will hit the street this summer and, boy, you guys are going to hit the floor. My partner, Chris Keeffe, and my manager, Kyle Demers, did these new designs, and they are just as hot (if not hotter) than Bacon....wait to see summer OH-8 (or in English, ’08).

DUB: What kind of wheels are you pushing these days?
David: Well, these days, I push a DQM/PISTA CONCEPT. Now, this might be funny to you guys because you might not know what kind of wheels those are, but it’s a two-wheel fixed, gear bike. I don’t drive…I get driven around in cabs. I pedal a bike. I’m trying to save the planet by being green. What can I say? I guess I’m a hippie at heart.

DUB: Parodies of bigger brands seem to be the stock and trade of many streetwear/sneaker-oriented brands. How do you keep fresh ideas amid a mire of crap?
David: The way I stay in tune is to have a decent crew of guys that are real. The guys at my shop, and the crew we hang out with, can’t be better; they don’t follow any trends…to be honest, they don’t like anything. Sh*t, they make fun of me all the time because I’m on my own trip with style, food and music. We all ride, or walk, to our own drum…that’s how you stay in true and fresh style.