The crew at Etnies are celebrating 35 years this year! Although they’ve been primarily a skate brand, they have done a lot with and for BMX since 1995 when they signed Rooftop as their first BMX rider. Since then, there has been a lot of BMX history because of Etnies’ support from Pro riders to signature shoes, events they supported like the Backyard Jam, to the 3 amazing full-length videos Forward, Grounded and Chapters! Here’s a video where Etnies owner Pierre André Senizergues tells the story of how it all started, along with some of the highlights from different shoes, to different programs like the Buy A Shoe, Plant A Tree program, to their partnership with Michelin and more. It’s pretty wild to think about how much they’ve done over the years.
This doesn’t have much about BMX in it, but it’s still worth a look because this is an interesting story for sure! It also sounds like 2021 is going to be a big year for the brand as a whole, so get ready!
“35 YEARS OF ETNIES 1986-2021
PAST
It started for me with a simple push on a skateboard in Paris, France. As my pro skate life progressed, I was skating through shoes, and knew skaters needed something better. I wanted to find new ways to advance skateboarding. Only a skateboarder could know our footwear needs, and it was time for shoes designed by skaters for skaters. Since etnies begin in France in ’86, the company has continued to innovate as the first skateboarder-owned and operated global footwear company.
PRESENT
35 years since etnies started we continue to support the skateboard, snowboard, surf, BMX and MTB communities. Fueled by passion, we are still pushing the boundaries and giving back. This year marks etnies’ milestones of planting more than 2 million trees in the rainforest and providing 50,000 pairs of shoes to the homeless.
FUTURE
As the world around us rapidly changes, the one thing that won’t change is our push to continuously create the most innovative products that provide the most style, comfort and protection.
THANK YOU skateboarding and THANK YOU to everyone who has been part of the etnies journey of the past, present and future.
Cheers,
Pierre André Senizergues” – Etnies
