Etnies
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Subsidiary of Sole Technology, Inc. | |
Founded | 1986 |
Headquarters | Lake Forest, California, U.S. |
Key people | Pierre André Sénizergues |
Products | Shoes, apparel |
Website | http://www.etnies.com/ |
etnies is a footwear brand based in Lake Forest, California, United States, and is owned by Sole Technology, Inc.[1] As of 2013, the company sponsors professional skateboarders and releases signature shoe models.
History
The company was launched in 1986 and following the end of his professional skateboarding career, current owner, Pierre André Sénizergues, commenced design work at etnies shortly after the company's formation. Etnies was an emerging European brand at the time that Sénizergues joined the company and he was responsible for designing the "Senix", "Lo-Cut", "Low-Top Rap", "Intercity" and "Scam" shoe models. Sénizergues subsequently introduced the brand to the US and proceeded to build Sole Technology, with the addition of the Emerica, éS (on hiatus between 2012 and 2014, but back in production), and ThirtyTwo (snowboarding brand created in 1995) brands.[1][2]
Team
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Picture of an etnies shoe |
Skate park
In 2003, etnies, along with the city of Lake Forest, California, opened etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest, the largest public skatepark in the state, at over 40,000 square feet (3,700 m2).[11] The park has been used for a Sole Technology-sponsored skateboard competition, entitled "Goofy vs. Regular (GvR)"—goofy-footed skateboarders competed against regular-footed skateboarders—that was held in 2007 and 2008.[12][13]
Charity work
In 2012, the brand donated free shoes to people who were, at the time, "homeless and needy" in Los Angeles, US as part of an Easter "shoe drive". Two thousand pairs of shoes were given away and a video of the event was also published, in which etnies CEO, Senizergues, conducted interviews with shoe recipients. etnies-sponsored athletes, Devine Calloway, BK, and Andy Bell, etnies staff, celebrity volunteers and the city's mayor at the time, Antonio Villaraigosa, also participated in the event.[14][15]
Buy a Shoe, Plant a Tree
In addition to the company's charity work, etnies has also launched tree-planting projects in Costa Rica and Brazil under the title of "Buy a Shoe, Plant a Tree". In Costa Rica, etnies committed to planting a tree in the Maleku rainforest reserve for every pair of Jameson 2 Eco shoes that were sold, and sponsored athletes, Benji Weatherly, CJ Kanuha, Chris Del Moro, and Ryan Sheckler travelled to Costa Rica in March, 2011 for an inaugural tree-planting ceremony.[16] In 2012, the project was then expanded to Brazil, in partnership with the "Trees for the Future" organization; the Brazilian initiative involved the planting of 100,000 trees within São Paulo's Atlantic Rainforest throughout 2012 for every purchase of the "Jameson 2" and "Jameson 2 Eco" men’s and boy's shoes, as well as the girl’s "Caprice Eco" and "Circe Eco" shoes. In 2012, Senizergues stated, "We play in our planet, and we need to take care of it. Through our Buy a Shoe, Plant a Tree project we are excited that everyone can come together to be a part of the solution – giving future generations the opportunity to see and experience the benefits these life-giving rainforests bring to the Earth.”[17]
On April 22, 2015, Etnies celebrated Earth Day by announcing a milestone in the program: its one millionth tree planted. The brand also announced that the program, now called "Every Shoe Plants a Tree," will continue in 2015, with every pair of Etnies purchased this year becoming a tree planted in the rain forest. [18]
Filmography
- Skateboard
- 2007: Restless
- BMX
- 2002: Forward
- 2007: Grounded
References
- 1 2 "Our Brands". Sole Technology. Sole Technology, Inc. 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
- ↑ "Pierre André Senizergues, Founder / CEO The Soul of Sole Technology". Sole Technology. Sole Technology, Inc. 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
- ↑ "Team". etnies. etnies. 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
- ↑ Wouter Oude Wesselink (February 2009). "Etnies - Rune Glifberg" (Video upload). Wouter Oude Wesselink on Vimeo. Vimeo LLC. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
- ↑ Camilo Olarte (2 February 2012). "sean malto etnies" (Video upload). YouTube. Google, Inc. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
- ↑ Blair Alley (5 March 2010). "MIKEY TAYLOR ETNIES APPAREL COLLECTION". Transworld Skateboarding. Bonnier Corporation. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
- ↑ "Etnies - Jason Dill Ad (2008)". Skately. Skately LLC. 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
- ↑ Transworld (25 February 2007). "ETNIES ALI BOULALA SHOE". Transworld Business. Bonnier Corporation. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
- ↑ Chris Nieratko (2007). "Arto Saari Interview". chrisnieratko.com. chrisnieratko.com. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
- ↑ "Etnies - Elissa Steamer Boardslide Ad (2007)". Skately. Skately LLC. 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
- ↑ "Etnies Skatepark Of Lake Forest Aerial". Retrieved 21 August 2010.
- ↑ Cam Caddie (9 October 2008). "GVR 2008 GOOFY VS REGULAR STREET SKATE FINALS" (Video upload). YouTube. Google, Inc. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
- ↑ bnqt (12 October 2007). "Goofy Vs. Regular 2007 - Skate Contest" (Video upload). YouTube. Google, Inc. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
- ↑ Templeton Elliot (10 April 2012). "Etnies Easter Shoe Donation". The Skateboard Mag. Strictly Skateboarding. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
- ↑ Mike Manzoori (May 2012). "etnies LA Mission Shoe Donation 2012" (Video upload). etnies on Vimeo. Vimeo LLC. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
- ↑ Megan Michelson (15 February 2011). "BUY A SHOE, PLANT A TREE". ESPN Action Sports. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
- ↑ Christian Senrud (7 February 2012). "ETNIES EXPANDS BUY A SHOE PLANT A TREE TO BRAZIL". Skateboarder Magazine. GrindMedia, LLC. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
- ↑ "Etnies Celebrates Earth Day With One Millionth Tree Planted". BallerStatus.com. April 22, 2015.
External links
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