Outerknown is pivoting its wholesale strategy toward the surf specialty market under new CEO Dylan Slater.
The Kelly Slater-founded brand showed retailers a curated fall collection for surf specialty at Surf Expo that included several new styles with sharper prices that the brand thinks can work in the channel.
For example, Outerknown is introducing a $42 T-shirt, when typically the brand’s T-shirts sell for $58 to $68. Importantly, Dylan Slater said, the new products with lower prices are still maintaining Outerknown’s founding ethos to make responsibly-built product.
The capsule also includes a pinnacle boardshort style, the Apex Evolution that is launching in March, which is made with 90% recycled fishing nets retrieved from the ocean. This signature Kelly boardshort will sell for $168.
“But we also have a $98 scallop (boardshort) that is a little more entry friendly on the performance side, and we have a $78 volley,” he said. “They’re still definitely at the premium range, but the quality is there, and they are still sourced responsibly.”
As part of Outerknown’s new focus on surf shops, Kelly Slater made an appearance at Surf Expo in January. L to R: Outerknown’s Director of Merchandising Zuri Magers, Kelly Slater, and CEO Dylan Slater. Photo by SESO.
The Culver City, California-based brand has a robust DTC business, and at wholesale had previously sold mostly to boutiques. However, Outerknown had paused the wholesale business while they sorted out calendars and operations internally, Slater said.
“We weren’t doing a great job servicing the wholesale business from start to finish, so we looked at is as an opportunity to reset,” he said. “This is the first step out of the reset and starting from surf specialty and we’ll build from there.”
While Outerknown wants to honor some of those boutique relationships going forward, the wholesale priority initially will be surf specialty, he said.
Signature Kelly Slater Line to Come
The fall drop for surf shops is just the first step on Outerknown’s pivot. Come spring and summer 2026, Outerknown is launching a signature Kelly Slater line that is designed specifically for the surf channel.
Slater said the response from surf shops thus far has been very positive. Outerknown, like many brands, see lots of potential opportunity in the surf channel given the turmoil with the former Boardriders brands.
“The initial conversations have given us a lot of confidence – feedback on the product has been phenomenal,” Slater said. “A lot of the retailers are identifying that we have a unique positioning. We’re a surf inspired premium lifestyle brand. And there’s an empty space out there that we can fill. So we’re excited. We’re looking at this as a first big step for us.”
