Meet Seth_BLOG 1

Meet Seth

Cypher Pickleball's Chief Manufacturing Officer

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By Madison C.

Hello!

With over 30+ years in the footwear industry, we're honored to have Seth as our Chief Manufacturing Officer here at Cypher. Seth is putting his experience to work by helping Cypher make truly innovative footwear for the court. While big companies take shortcuts, Seth is here to make sure Cypher shoes provide a real difference.

I've Made Shoes For:

I ran cross country at the University of Florida on scholarship

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I've Made Shoes For

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How did you end up in footwear?

"I had an idyllic childhood. I grew up in Eugene, Oregon in the late 60s & early 70s, very close to the University of Oregon campus. Eugene had a well funded public recreation program, along with a well-funded school district where I was able to participate in multiple sports including tennis, golf, soccer, baseball, basketball, and track & field.

Eugene was a hub of athletic activity, especially in the area of sports research and medicine. This was also at the time when Nike (Blue Ribbon Sports) was still in its formative stages. A coach and friend in middle school was Steve Prefontaine’s roommate and my high school athletic coach was a mentee of Bill Bowerman.

I was able to wear-test hand-made Nikes as a distance runner in high school. Seeing / learning the nuts and bolts of footwear was always in front of me."

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30+ year career, tell us about it!

My 30+ year career in footwear (actually closer to 40 now) started with a bit of luck and a lot of great opportunities. It began at the University of Florida, where I attended on an athletic scholarship and worked in retail before landing a marketing role at Nike. That first job opened the door to a lifetime in footwear—spanning product creation, sourcing, and manufacturing for global brands around the world.

Along the way, footwear took me places I never imagined. I spent 25 years living and working across Asia, running global sourcing offices, managing factories and suppliers, and learning the craft of making shoes from soup to nuts. I’ve been fortunate to help engineer footwear worn by Olympic medalists, NBA players, and World Cup champions. What started as a lucky break turned into a career that let me travel the world, experience its diversity, and do work I truly enjoyed, right up to getting the chance to work here at Cypher.

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What made you want to work with Cypher?

A chance meeting with a person that is not only a footwear visionary with a passion for performance footwear, but a person that has a great sense of humanity, humility, infinite curiosity, respect, integrity, and a pretty good pickleball player. That person is Garrett. The Dude is for real!

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What does “quality” mean to you when it comes to making great shoes, especially for pickleball?

A shoe is made up of many components and when you invest in quality components, you end up making a great shoe. The problem with the big companies today is that in order to make shareholders happy, they use less quality components to save on costs. They cut corners, and make shoes that may look good but the underlying quality structure has been compromised. If you truly want to make a great shoe, put your money where your mouth is and invest in quality materials and design...that way you end up with a design that lasts the test of time.

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How would you describe your role at Cypher?

My title is Chief Manufacturing Officer, which mainly means overseeing product creation, sourcing, and manufacturing. But at a smaller company like Cypher, you end up wearing a lot of hats...and that’s part of the fun! It also makes us more nimble and efficient than big corporations, which I’ve experienced firsthand after working in both environments.

Right now we’re focused on expanding our pickleball lineup, building off of the KEY211 and developing new performance models that exceed the quality of what's already out there. Everything we make is built around the five fundamentals of great footwear: performance, fit, comfort, stability, and durability. Just call it Integrity. The right anatomical last, the pattern that fits the last, the highest quality material, and components to provide performance, stability, cushion and durability. Tested and Proven!

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What excites you about where Cypher is headed?

The world changes, including footwear, and if you’re passionate about something, you always want to be on the cutting edge of change. That’s where Cypher Footwear is. We're innovative and committed to making the best product, and I believe those on the court will simply need to put on our shoes to find that out. Big companies are taking more and more shortcuts whereas we're truly investing in making great shoes, it'll pay off.

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What are you up to when not working on shoes?!

I live in the small community of Hailey, Idaho, which happens to be in one of the best recreation areas on the planet. Hiking, biking, skiing, playing pickleball and spending time with my family. My better half happens to be an incredible athlete so we're outside a lot!

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Hello!

With over 30+ years in the footwear industry, we're honored to have Seth as our Chief Manufacturing Officer here at Cypher. Seth is putting his experience to work by helping Cypher make truly innovative footwear for the court. While big companies take shortcuts, Seth is here to make sure Cypher shoes provide a real difference - stay tuned!

I've Made Shoes At:

I ran cross country at the University of Florida on scholarship

I've Made Shoes For:

How did you end up in footwear?

"I had an idyllic childhood. I grew up in Eugene, Oregon in the late 60’s & early 70’s, very close to the University of Oregon campus. Eugene had a well funded public recreation program, along with a well funded school district where I was able to participate in multiple sports including tennis, golf, soccer, baseball, basketball, and track & field. Eugene was a hub of athletic activity, especially in the area of sports research and medicine. This was also at the time when Nike (Blue Ribbon Sports) was still in its formative stages. A coach and friend in middle school was Steve Prefontaine’s roommate and my high school athletic coach was a mentee of Bill Bowerman. I was able to wear-test hand-made Nike’s as a distance runner in high school. Seeing / learning the nuts and bolts of footwear was always in front of me."

Title

30+ year career, tell us about it!

My 30+ year career in footwear (actually closer to 40 now) started with a bit of luck and a lot of great opportunities. It began at the University of Florida, where I attended on an athletic scholarship and worked in retail before landing a marketing role at Nike. That first job opened the door to a lifetime in footwear—spanning product creation, sourcing, and manufacturing for global brands around the world.

Along the way, footwear took me places I never imagined. I spent 25 years living and working across Asia, running global sourcing offices, managing factories and suppliers, and learning the craft of making shoes from soup to nuts. I’ve been fortunate to help engineer footwear worn by Olympic medalists, NBA players, and World Cup champions. What started as a lucky break turned into a career that let me travel the world, experience its diversity, and do work I truly enjoyed, right up to getting the chance to work with here at Cypher.

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Don't Work On Your Footwork
With The WRONG Footwear

See why Coach Tyler recommends Cypher KEY211s for all things pickleball

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Play More Of The Game You Love

A compression molded EVA midsole and shock absorbing removeable insole absorb the intensity of jarring court surfaces and help you stay comfortable while playing more pickleball.

Save Money

A reinforced 5.5mm thick carbon rubber outsole combats abrasion and stands up to aggressive pickleball wear-and-tear.

Avoid The ER

A laterally reinforced upper, midsole, and outsole with edge radii balance stability with responsiveness to help you find your footing while making quick cuts on the court.

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Loved by over 30,000 serious players, come see why Cypher Pickleball is the leader in pickleball innovation starting from the ground up.

What made you want to work with Cypher?

A chance meeting with a person that is not only a footwear visionary with a passion for performance footwear, but a person that has a great sense of humanity, humility, infinite curiosity, respect, integrity, and a pretty good pickleball player. That person is Garrett. The Dude is for real!

Title

What does “quality” mean to you when it comes to making great shoes, especially for sports like pickleball?

A shoe is made up of many components and when you invest in quality components, you end up making a great shoe. The problem with the big companies today is that in order to make shareholders happy, they use less quality components to save on costs. They cut corners, and make shoes that may look good but the underlying quality structure has been compromised. If you truly want to make a great shoe, put your money where your mouth is and invest in quality materials and design...that way you end up with a design that lasts the test of time.

Title

How would you describe your role at Cypher?

My title is Chief Manufacturing Officer, which mainly means overseeing product creation, sourcing, and manufacturing. But at a smaller company like Cypher, you end up wearing a lot of hats...and that’s part of the fun! It also makes us more nimble and efficient than big corporations, which I’ve experienced firsthand after working in both environments.

Right now we’re focused on expanding our pickleball lineup, building off of the KEY211 and developing new performance models that exceed in quality of what's already out there. Everything we make is built around the five fundamentals of great footwear: performance, fit, comfort, stability, and durability. Just call it Integrity. The right anatomical last, the pattern that fits the last, the highest quality material, and components to provide performance, stability, cushion and durability. Tested and Proven!

Title

What excites you about where Cypher is headed?

The world changes, including footwear, and if you’re passionate about something, you always want to be on the cutting edge of change. That’s where Cypher Footwear is. We're innovative and committed to making the best product, and I believe those on the court will simply need to put on our shoes to find that out. Big companies are taking more and more shortcuts whereas we're truly investing in making great shoes, it'll pay off.

Title

What are you up to when not working on shoes?!

I live in the small community of Hailey, Idaho, which happens to be in one of the best recreation areas on the planet. Hiking, biking, skiing, playing pickleball and spending time with my family. My better half happens to be an incredible athlete so we're outside a lot!

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