Etnies Sneakers

Founded in 1986 by French fashion footwear company, Rautureau Apple, the brand Etnies was then known by its former name Etnics, which was derived from the term "ethnic", a reference to the lifestyle of skateboarders, who often skate and move about in their own "tribes". The very first Etnics shoes that came on the market were high top sneakers targeted at the European skater and surfer communities. A year later, the old name of Etnics was dropped in favor of the new name due to legal issues. In that same year, Etnies Footwear began its first collaboration with a pro skater, Natas Kaupas, and launched the very first pro skate shoe, the Etnies Natas. This marked the beginning of the company's practice of collaboration with top skateboarding professionals to produce professional grade technical skate shoes.

In 1989, the professional skateboarder, Pierre-Andre Senizergues took the brand to USA under a licensing deal and began distributing Etnies sneakers in the states. This marked the first time a renown footwear company was owned and operated by a pro skateboarder.

Etnies Footwear were among the first footwear companies to switch from the high top, which was the prevailing skate shoe style, to the low top, the so-called new age skateboarding shoe style, around 1993. The new low top Etnies skateboard shoes quickly gained popularity among the new generation of street skaters.

Read the rest of the company's history here.

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