Kyle Kivijarvi is an explorer at heart and footwear enthusiast to boot. If you’ve ever seen his Instagram, which is peppered with the latest outdoor gear or scenic mountain top view, you may have been inspired to peel yourself off the couch and hit the trails yourself. Kyle can have that effect—true effortlessness that is just plain old cool.
We caught up with Kyle during his weekly bike tune-up to hear about his cross-country road trips, hiking in the Sangre De Cristo mountains of Colorado, his work as a creative consultant, and of course, a bit more about his style and footwear philosophy.
TIDAL NY: What does ‘comfort’ mean to you?
Kyle Kivijarvi: Comfort is being home. A place we know and love to kick back and relax with friends or family usually eating food you grew up eating as a kid.
What was your experience like wearing Tidals? Anything you liked or didn’t like about them?
They are honestly a no brainer. As much as I wear sneakers and boots I usually can't wait to take them off and put on a pair [of Tidals] so my dogs can breathe.
Flip flops are often seen as this taboo accessory. Any thoughts on flipping the script on that narrative?
I wear them when I’m doing my thing at home and when I get back to the car after a hike or a long bike ride. To me the most stylish things are effortless and there are no rules. Do what makes you feel good and makes you happy. Flip flops never left!
Where do you live in NY and how long have you lived here?
I currently live in Brooklyn, New York and have been here for 7 years now.
What’s your favorite thing about living in your neighborhood? Any go-to spots you can divulge?
The best thing about my neighborhood is mostly old people on my street and that means it stays pretty quiet for the most part.
Some of my favorite spots in the area are Hanon for udon and Moes Does is my weekend morning donut fix. Don't bother getting anything else but the plain glazed “Dossant”—you will thank me later.
Throughout this year, you’ve been able to safely drive across the country and explore. What was that experience like? Tell us about where you were in these pictures.
This year I have been blessed to be able to split my time between work in the city and life in the mountains. Coming from a much smaller city than New York that was surrounded by nature I need to get out as much as I can to keep my energies aligned. Driving across the country is a wild adventure. There is nothing greater than being out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by the beauty of nature.
Here, I am at the foot of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains, a series of fourteen thousand foot peaks in the southern rocky mountains just north of New Mexico.
How did you get into biking and fixing bikes? Have you always been a person who loves the outdoors?
When I was a kid growing up in the Bay Area there were two high school age brothers that lived next door to us that raced BMX bikes and they were the coolest kids on the planet as far as I knew. They had a garage full of GT’s, Dynos and Robinson bikes and their dad was a mechanic that drove my dream car, a black 1986 Buick Grand National. Since then I had the bike bug. And if you own a bike you should be into fixing them, it just goes along with it all.
Give us the scoop on your work—what do you do? How did you get into this field?
I'm a creative consultant working in the apparel and footwear industries. I've been blessed to work in and around some of the best brands, shops, buyers and designers out there and have made long lasting relationships through the years. I decided to take all the things I've learned from each of those experiences and turn it into a business of my own.
Quick Fire 🔥
Interests: Camping, Hiking, Riding Bikes
Currently reading: Boys In The Boat for the third time.
Currently watching: Port Protection
Inspired by: My family
On a typical Tuesday night, we could find you… Cooking pasta
When quarantine ends, where is your first stop in NYC? Gonna go listen to jazz in the West Village and get cheap seats to a ball game.
When quarantine ends, where is your first trip? Gonna go see friends back home.
