INSPIRE (Yellow)

Rick Williams is a Detroit based artist and co-owner of Burn Rubber. With every business there is a story about how someone came from the bottom and ended up on top. What they fail to mention in these typical story plots is the amount of hard work it takes to remain there.

The story of Burn Rubber was almost non-existent due to a number of obstacles that were in the way before Rick Williams and Roland Coit took over ownership in 2007 but this did not stop them from pursuing their dreams of being business owners. The store began in 2004 and the best way to describe the process of Williams and Coit taking over ownership is through a quote by the famous 19th century artist Michelangelo that states, “I saw the angel in the marble and I carved until I set him free” this is what they did with the restructuring of the 680 square foot shop.

“Movement is Life and Stagnation is Death” so to say that the store is still the same as it was in 2007 would be inaccurate. The store has gone through a number of changes that lead up to where they are today. Williams and Coit are truly concerned with the expansion and growth of the Burn Rubber name and are currently the innovators of the Burn Rubber Midwest Lifestyle Brand.

In the beginning companies were reluctant to work with such a small store and in the almost three years that Burn Rubber took over new ownership, companies realize the large following the store has and how Burn Rubber is a staple in the sneaker and street wear culture in Michigan and the original sneaker and street wear boutique.

Williams and Coit realize the importance of collaborating with different companies and creating an association to further the common interests of the members, so Webster dictionary would call those, alliances. In the beginning companies viewed the store as an urban entity until the store was featured in the Northwest Airlines Sky Miles Magazine and took the store all over the world thus making it international. The store has also been featured in the “best of” issues of Real Detroit Magazine and The Metro Times, the Lifestyles section of the Detroit News, Vapors Magazine, renowned online fashion magazine Hypebeast.com, Highsnobiety.com, Nicekicks.com, Strictlyfitteds.com, and won WDIV’s Vote for the Best in men’s shoes in 2008.