35 Years of etnies
etnies was founded in 1986 in France, with the aim of designing the best and most practical shoes for skateboarders. Following the end of his professional skateboarding career, Pierre André Sénizergues Sénizergues, still the current owner and CEO, went to work designing shoes and played a pivotal role in developing the company into the global skate brand it is today. He was responsible for designing the Senix, Lo-Cut, Low-Top Rap, Intercity and Scam shoe models and introduced the brand to the American market, creating Sole Technology (the parent company for all his brands), and launching Emerica, éS and ThirtyTwo brands.
Sénizergues collaborated early on with skateboarding icon, Natas Kaupas,and created the world’s first pro model skate shoe, an entirely new concept within skateboarding at the time. It’s safe to say the etnies NATAS shoe started a revolution in 1987 and pro skate shoes have become a staple of today’s professional skateboarding landscape. Etnies brought on more pros over the years, creating the Sal 23 pro shoes for Arto, Sheckler, Elissa, Dill, Nathan Williams and many more and their success and reputation has grown and grown into one of the most respected show brands in the industry.
etnies have stayed true to their roots and have been responsible for pioneering many technological advances in skate shoe design. They have maintained their ethical values and remained dedicated to supporting the environment and local communities, creating events like GvR, giving 50,000 pairs of shoes to the homeless and their Buy a Shoe, Plant a Tree program where they planted more than 2 million trees in the rainforest. etnies isn’t stopping there and remain committed to planting in areas of the world in need of help and are constantly looking for ways to reduce their impact on the planet.
Another key factor of etnies success is being skater owned, which has allowed the brand to prioritise making more durable shoes that last longer as well as experiment with innovative materials like Michelin rubber, to minimise the footprint left behind.
In 2003, etnies worked with the city of Lake Forest, California to open the largest public skatepark in the state, The etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest. Weighing in at over 40,000 square feet, the skatepark has hosted some of Sole Tech’s skateboarding sponsored events, local summer camps, skateboard camps and skateboarding classes amongst many others.
Their skate team is also packed with heavy hitters, including Chris Joslin, Trevor McClung, Nick Garcia and Ryan Sheckler.
Etnies is a leading action sports company committed to creating innovative products that provide the most comfort and protection possible for skateboarders and offer iconic styles on and off the board. Etnies offers something for everyone and caters for people of all ages.
In 2021, etnies celebrated 35 years and launched a retrospective video discussing the brands history and future, which you can watch below.
etnies are our March 2022 Brand of the Month and, if you want to check out our etnies range, just click here.
