About Etnies
Etnies began in 1986 when a French company, Rautureau Apple, teamed with French skateboarder Alain “Platoon” Montagnet, to launch “Etnics,” a word derived from the word “ethnics,” which was often used in skateboarder subculture slang to describe the small subcultures often formed within the skateboarding community. The company’s goal was to create high-top sneakers intended for European skateboarders and sufers. In 1987 Etnics changed its name to Etnies and released the first pro model skate shoe, the Natas.
Over the next few years Etnies built a solid foundation as a legitimate pro skate shoe company by sponsoring numerous skating events and releasing quality professional skateboarding shoes. In 1988, Etnies released “The Senix,” which was a performance skate shoe offering superior ankle support, heavy-duty eyelets and enhanced grip. With an outsole constructed of the same rubber used for Indy 500 Goodyear tires, the shoes set the standard for durability, lasting four times longer than other outsoles on the market. By 1989, Pierre Andre Senizergues began distributing Etnies in the U.S., and the company became the first skateboarding shoe distribution company owned and directed by a professional skateboarder.
Etnies celebrated it’s 20th anniversary in 2006 and they’re going stronger than ever as one of the worlds top skateboarding shoe companies. Etnies makes shoes for men, women, body, girls, and even toddlers and has expanded into several additional markets. Etnies sponsors many professional action sports athletes in sports such as Skateboarding, Snowboarding, Surfing, BMX, and Moto-X. Some athletes it sponsors are Arto Saari, Ryan Sheckler, Ali Boulala, Ronnie Creager, Eric Jackson, Chris Malloy, Ryan Campbell, Jamie Bestwick and Lee Dainton.
The following current styles are available from Etnies: Ali, Annex, Arto, Arto 2, Arto-Mid, Ashbury, Bernie, Birthstone, Bottle, Callicut, Calli-Slim, Calli-Vulc, Capistrano, Chalotas, Charles, Chula II, Cinch, Commuter, Dublin, Dyna III, Easy-E, El-Jefe II, Faction, Fakie, Fielder III, Fierce, Flats, Flirt, Forsvar, Hope, Ignition, Intercity, Kensington, Kenya, Kingpin, Kona, Lacie, Lo-Cut II Golf, Lo-Cut II, Slim, Lomax, Lo-Slip V, Mima, Myra, Nadi II, Nathalie, Pocahontas, Ranger, Redeem, Roland, Roscoe, Runaway, Shaidy, Sheckler, Shift
