THE RYAN ZAHACY WEST 49/ GLOBE SHOE

Ryan Zahacy, 21 of Edmonton, Alberta can now call himself a skate shoe designer as the official winner of the West 49/Globe Design a Shoe contest held this past winter. Ryan's shoe, the "Focus/Zahacy," was selected as the winning design from over 250 entries nationwide and will be available at West 49 stores across the country on October 20th. Ryan, a true skateboarder, got his inspiration from viewing all previous Globe shoes and then used his creative instincts to come up with his own unique design.

The Globe Design a Shoe contest was a nationwide contest that ran in West 49 stores and online at west49.com from November 2006 to February 2007. Contestants submitted their shoe designs either digitally or by hand. The winning artwork is now featured on a Globe Shoe that will be sold exclusively in West 49 stores this fall (while quantities last). The shoe insole says "by Ryan Zahacy for West 49" which is particularly cool since it is the first time that a non-pro skater has ever had their name on a Globe Shoe. As the Grand Prize winner, Ryan received 12 pairs of Globe shoes featuring his winning artwork along with a gift pack from West 49 which included a backpack, a pair of socks, a hat, and a t-shirt.

Judges for the contest from Globe and West 49 had to review over 250 entries to select the winning design. "It was the best design hands down. His ideas we're so bang on that they almost looked as though they came from Globe directly," according to Jerry Filice, Senior Buyer for West 49.

The Globe Focus/Zahacy by Ryan Zahacy will be available at West 49 starting October 20th