ETNIES UNVEILS HERITAGE ‘ICON’ COLLECTION

Today, etnies has introduced the etnies ICONS Collection. As an homage to heritage and a throwback to originality, the company has cracked open the vault to release four classic styles. Providing innovative footwear for skateboarders by skateboarders has been etnies’ mission since 1986. Forging the way, etnies was the first global producer of footwear designed specifically for skateboarders.

For over 30 years, etnies has largely equipped some of the most legendary skateboarders from around the world. Dominating the cupsole market during its early days, etnies pioneered the way skate shoes were constructed. In a landscape where vulcanized outsoles were the majority, etnies focused its efforts on creating a sturdy, grippy cupsole and inventing an upper that could withstand the rigorous demands of skateboarding by stacking up layers of suede, adding heavy duty rubber and additional stitching to keep the upper together.

These very first skate-specific styles provided a blueprint for all the skate shoes that we know and love today. The LoCut, Calli-cut, Czar and Senix Lo were each pioneers in their own right. The fully padded extra puff style shoe also inspired the fashion of an entire generation in skate culture. It became a staple in a sub-culture where the official uniform of skateboarding was baggy jeans and a white tee complete with full-puff skate shoes.

etnies pays tribute to those heritage styles that served as the foundation for all skateboarding footwear. The classic double strobel stitching on the sidewall is indicative of the alterations made to the original styles to improve its longevity. The LoCut and the Senix Lo each include a soft PU tongue and collar lining for that true vintage feel. Each outsole tread in this collection is an exact replica of the same outsoles used during that groundbreaking time period in skateboarding footwear.

The etnies ICONS collection is available here.