Extreme sports haven't always been given the respect that they now get. Every extreme sport from skateboarding, snowboarding to motocross and surfing have had to wait to gain the recognition they deserve.
As a result of this new found recognition many sports brands have now emerged producing equipment, clothing and footwear for their respective sports. Many of these clothing and footwear companies have grown and crossed over into the mainstream. For many of these clothing and footwear brands this is something that was unplanned as many of these brands were started by skateboarders, surfers and other enthusiasts.
Etnies skate shoes and clothing was founded by a young skater called Pierre Andre Senizergues, after he moved to California in the 80's to pursue his dream of becoming a pro skateboarder. Senizergues went on to win a number of European and World skateboarding championships and made a name for himself as a pro skateboarder. In 1988 Pierre began designing and testing his own brand of Etnies skate shoes in order to create footwear that was comfortable, stylish and durable, perfect for the needs of your average skateboarder.
In the years that followed the Etnies brand began to gain recognition and were being sold throughout the world. During this time Pierre looked to expand his apparel and footwear empire under the Sole Technology label by expanding to feature three other clothing and footwear labels to compliment the Etnies brand; Es, Emerica and Thirty-Two. The Sole Technology Institute was set up to research into the impact and movement caused by skateboarding on the human body in order to produce better footwear.