Orchard Building Bridge Between Skate & Soccer Communities
"Even some of our customers that don’t skate or anything, it’s nice to be able to build that bridge."
Orchard has been a major player in the Boston skate scene since opening up shop in 2006 and with a collaboration between Adidas Skateboarding and the New England Revolution, they will be building a bridge between two worlds.
While this isn’t the case for every skater, a lot of people turn to boards in rebellion against sports. This collaboration hopes to show that the two can peacefully coexist.
The shop began operations under the ownership of Broderick Gumpright and Jon Devoe who were involved in the Boston Skate Scene and were looking to fill a void in the area. Along with featuring ramps that were free to skate on, Orchard also boasted an art gallery and put on events such as skate jams, video premieres, and art shows. A year and a half in, current owner Amin Bachman joined the project.
Orchard has had many homes with locations in Mission Hill, Alston, Newbury Street, and the North End. Just months before the COVID-19 pandemic new landlords raised rent prices which forced Orchard out of Allston. With the shop on its toes, they pivoted to operating out of a warehouse for 100 weeks.
Even as the pandemic caused supply chain issues and didn’t allow for the shop to be physically open, Bachman stated that business was “better than ever.”
But Orchard knew that it needed a new home. While having a physical shop has its benefits, Bachman and staff wanted a place to help guide new skaters and almost provide a learning center for the next generation. That ended up being on North Street in the heart of Boston.
The potential for a collab arose in 2021. The shop had a relationship with Adidas Skateboarding and the skateboarding division pitched to Orchard that Adidas was going to be doing more partnerships with MLS and do similar things to what the major clubs in Europe have done to help support the growth of the league.
After a collaboration between No Comply and Austin FC, Adidas reached out to Orchard to join the project. Orchard’s collaboration with the New England Revolution features a kit along with Samba ADV shoes. Bachman was a leader in the design process and stated that he wanted to create something that would tie the three entities together.
“With the shop being right there in the North End, literally we are like 50 feet from Paul Revere’s house,” Bachman stated. “It’s that literal story of being in the heart of the American Revolution, kind of like what I see in the story of the Revs branding and name obviously. So leaning in that direction and kind of thinking about midnight ride, just being that midnight indigo color that the Revs use, kind of wanted to use that as a palette. I wanted to make something that was wearable for all different types of people but just give little subtle hints of flavor and highlight certain things that people would appreciate.”
For instance, Revolution fans will notice that the shirt utilizes an alternate logo that does not feature on their MLS kits. Bachman also pointed out the Raglin piping and “overcoat kind of vibe” that reminds you of uniforms from the Revolutionary War.
Fans will also notice that the kit has a six on the back. This is not because Orchard are Christian Makoun stans. This is another feature that ties the three shops together.
“With the Revs founded in 96. We started in ‘06. Actual Revolution in ‘76,” Bachman stated. “We figured six would be a good place to start.”
With both products, there is a focus on sustainability. The vegan Samba ADV are made from animal-friendly synthetic suede and leather while the long-sleeve jersey is made from 100% recycled polyester.
“With this opportunity with a big brand like Adidas, we just think it’s important to have more vegan and animal-friendly options just for those types of customers and just the general sustainability,” the owner said when discussing the shoes. “So with vegan suede and leather, it can kind of cook out a little bit more than standard leathers so that’s where we went with that perforated tongue. Even though everything’s kind of tonal, it gives a little bit more texture and just aesthetically pops a little bit.”
After talking with Bachman it seemed like there were similarities between the skater community and the soccer community in the United States. There can be some gatekeeping in both communities but both are welcoming and want to help people understand the culture.
While Bachman stated that there is already some crossover, the owner of the shop said that its nice to have the opportunity to build a bridge between the two worlds.
“I think there already is a good amount of crossover between our followers and skaters that [are] big fans of the Revolution or just football in general. Even some of our customers that don’t skate or anything, it’s nice to be able to build that bridge. My generation or even all ages like the younger [generation] are like ‘fuck sports, this is why I started skating.’ Kind of gatekeepers of sorts. Like ‘more people wearing Thrasher gear? They don’t even skate.’ I can’t play basketball but I like jerseys man. Can I wear that jersey? Is that okay?”
The collaboration drops in-store and online at 12 p.m. but Orchard will also be at Gillette Stadium on Saturday prior to the match against Austin FC. Outside of the ProShop, there will be a miniramp jam that will feature Adidas skate team members Dennis Busenitz, Daewon Song, Miles Silvas, Marcos Montoya, Nora Vasconcellos, Mariah Duran, Vincent Milou, Silas Baxter Neal, and lil’ Dre.
Between the collaboration and the event at Gillette Stadium, the gates are coming down between these two worlds. It‘s hard to think of a better introduction than sick gear and some sick moves.
I didn’t know the sneakers were vegan. Gonna need to get those now