Tyler Wells is the guy you meet once and already feel comfortable with, cracking jokes and saying things you wouldn’t want anyone’s grandmother to overhear. Joshua describes him as “funny and gregarious,” recalling when Tyler used to come into Progress Coffee as a bike courier. Here was this guy in lycra bib shorts and cycling shoes, clicking around the coffee shop and cracking jokes with everyone, just a friend right off the bat. Pretty soon he was working there.
I asked Joshua to describe him to someone who has never met him and the first word to come out of his mouth was “fun.” He continued by saying, “He’s adventurous. Entrepreneurial. He will do things that other people won’t do, that other people may think are risky, but he doesn’t. I guess in a way that makes him fearless. It’s as if he doesn’t have an option to not pursue everything he’s faced with.” If you know him, this all makes perfect sense. Tyler is a whirlwind; he will have a multiple ideas and bring them all to fruition without the hesitation that usually comes with starting businesses or going to school for a new skill. He didn’t drink much coffee at all before working at Progress Coffee and then before you know it he was starting his own roaster and opening his own coffee shop. He loved food and wanted to learn how to cook so he went to culinary school. He didn’t really drink alcohol but he had an interest in wine and is now pretty much a sommelier. When he finds something he likes, he puts himself fully into learning everything he can about it. This makes him the perfect consultant; he can bring his expertise to a business and isn’t tied down, giving him the opportunity to move on to the next. “He isn’t confined by reality,” Joshua says. “His perceptions have created his own reality of the world so he doesn’t see limitations.”
After moving to LA, Joshua and Tyler’s friendship continued, through business ups and downs and over years of growth and change on both sides. It seemed perfectly fitting to name one of our styles after someone who continues to have such an impact on Joshua’s life, plus The Wells is a pretty good name for a boot. We could definitely keep writing about Tyler and probably tell some stories (and show some pictures) that are NSFW, but instead we decided to ask him the questions we like to ask all of our boot namesakes so read on –
How do you know Joshua?
I started my coffee career at Progress and the rest is history. We’ve been great friends since about ’06 and we’re birds of a feather. Creative idiots.
What three words do you think he would use to describe you?
The three words he would use to describe me… Unfortunately I think it’s “just like me” (Joshua used the words “cut from the same cloth” to describe him).
Have you ever had anything named after you before?
Have I ever had anything named after me? A sandwich would be nice… an off menu item at Blacktop called the “TJ Special” but nothing as important as this.
What is your favorite fashion stable/clothing item that you own?
Favorite fashion staple…. I can’t help it – I love denim. I’ve been really digging my one size too small 3Sixteen black japanese denim.. And almost everything Carl at Rogue Territory makes.
What is the most important thing you look for in clothing or footwear that you buy?
Most important thing in clothing / footwear – fit and trust… Once you find a brand that gets you, it’s game over.
Has Joshua ever asked you what astrological sign you are? What sign are you?
Astrological sign? JB asks me a lot of weird, uncomfortable questions but I don’t know if that’s one of them… I’m a Leo and I’m a maniac. Very Leo… I’m also an ENFP which is even more telling of what a crazy 80% genius I’m capable of being.
Photos by Skandia Shafer
