Etnies, to wear on wheels
Brands

25 August 2021

Etnies, to wear on wheels

Etnies, to wear on wheels



We already presented you several contents about skate culture and footwear in general, but for the first time these two worlds have crossed and united in exclusive. Most of the sneakers brands that started in skateboarding have evolved into street style and more casual styles. Vans, DC Shoes, Element are just a few examples. However, with Etnies it wasn't quite like that and, according to the brand, that' s a good thing.


Etnies was created by skaters and for skaters. This goal became the focus of the company, which allowed to create the best specialized product of the area. The need to make the first professional skateboarding shoe was born in the 1980s. Pierre-Andre Sénizergues noticed that his shoes were constantly falling apart and causing injuries. He decided to find a way around it and the solution was to create his own shoes and the brand we know today as Etnies.


This story began around the 1980s when the original company was founded in France. At that time, former professional skater Pierre-Andre Sénizergues joined the brand to design shoes. In 85, Sénizergues moved to the United States of America (USA) and introduced Etnies to the American market. After the launch of the first sneakers in America, the Natas, the French entrepreneur founded Sole Technology, the company that now owns Etnies.





The first professional skate shoes have a very familiar name to any Portuguese. But no, the name Natas does not come from the famous pastry or cooking ingredient. It comes from the Lithuanian skater Natas Kaupas, who was the first to use the Etnies model, in 1987. Since then, Sénizergues' company has become a brand that has shaped the skateboarding industry, both for its models and its technological advances.


Beyond the footwear itself, Etnies is also a reference when it comes to social projects and support for sports. True to its roots, Sénizergues' brand sponsors a world skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding, motocross and BMX team. All this without ever forgetting its impact on the planet. To reduce its ecological footprint, Etnies uses recycled materials, having developed a plant-based foam and using plastic bottles to make laces. In order to think outside the box, the brand also has a completely vegan collection and produces a more resistant sole in partnership with Michelin.


French giant Michelin is world-renowned for three things: its tyres, its restaurant and hotel rating guide and its white mascot. Etnies may not be interested in the last two options, but the first one has revolutionised the Marana sneakers. The upper of the model remains unchanged, but the sole is reinforced with Michelin rubber, inspired by the brand's PC00 rally tyre. The partnership was created because, according to Etnies' footwear design director, the upper lasted much longer than the outsole and they wanted to make a model that matched it in durability.





The interest in increasing the durability of the footwear produced by Etnies is seen in their interest in bettering the planet. Footwear with better quality means less production. Moreover, with the program 'Buy a shoe, plant a tree' the American brand contributes to reforestation and reduces its ecological footprint. Since the beginning of this action, Etnies has already planted more than two million trees.


But helping the planet alone is not enough. For Etnies it is also essential to help the people who live on it, especially those with whom the brand comes into contact. So in 2012 the American company organised an event at SkidRow in Los Angeles in conjunction with the Los Angeles Mission institution, where they offered food and a pair of sneakerss to homeless people during Easter. For Sénizergues this was a project that made perfect sense and one that he sympathises with, having lived on the street himself when he moved to the US. Since then the event has been repeated whenever possible.


You must have realised by now that what started as a sneaker brand has evolved into a culture of helping each other. Basically, that's the basis of skate culture. Discover Etnies footwear on our website and next time you go skateboarding, look around and pay attention to your surroundings.



Etnies


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