Hardly any other skate shoe brand impacted skateboarding in the late 1990s and early 2000s as much as éS Footwear, which was founded in 1995. Most notably, their team video menikmati, released in 2000, is now regarded as an absolute classic and at the time, ushered in a new era in skate videos.
After a short break in 2012, éS had a full-force comeback two years later. The company is still owned by former freestyle world champion Pierre André Senizergues, who with Sole Tech is also responsible for the home of Etnies and Emerica. Thanks to its rich history, éS can look back proudly on a few real skate shoe classics like the Accel. But the development of the last few years has not gone unnoticed. Thanks to the technologies developed in the Sole Tech laboratory, high performance has definitely been established.
The start of éS in the year 1995 spurred the drive to initiate something new in the Sole Tech house. "We started to notice how Koston, Muska, and Penny started chilling in more athletic styled shoes after a day of skating so that was where the éS direction came from”, said Don Brown who from the beginning was always motivated to be a driving force on the market.
Thus, Sole Tech created a wide range of products. With Etnies, you had a brand which, in addition to skating, extended its reach to other sports such as BMX and snowboarding. Emerica, on the other hand, was 100% dedicated to skateboarding. The special thing about éS was the integration of street culture with a focus on style and innovation.
From 1995 to 2012, éS had a massive influence on skateboarding and the style of skate shoes. Countless models, from massive sneakers to narrower vulc models, they have always delivered great products over the years. éS also managed to line up the most famous skaters at the time. Right from the start, Eric Koston, Tom Penny and Sal Barbier were all there. From “contest kid” Nyjah Huston to the street machines Silas Baxter-Neal and Bobby Worrest, in the following years, the most diverse faces were signed by éS. This made it all the more surprising that in 2012, they announced their hiatus from Skateboarding. Don Brown on the creative break: "When we put éS on creative retreat it was because the market was pulling us in a direction that we didn’t want to go. All the market wanted was cheap vulcanised shoes in black and white… that’s not what éS is about."
After a myriad of letters from fans of the brand, a limited assortment of the éS Accel was introduced back into the market in 2014. At first only available in Japan, the reintroduced models struck an incredible resonance and were the most popular shoe model of the local shops there. This laid the groundwork for the reintroduction of éS. Step by step, more models followed, and the team was successively rebuilt as well. Currently, Tom Asta and Kelly Hart are considered the team drivers and are heavily involved in the development process. Diego Najero is also one of the most promising newcomers. According to various sources, there will be a lot going on in the team area. In Germany, skatedeluxe team rider Christoph Radtke has already waved the flags high for éS skate shoes.
But let’s take it back a step to the year 1995. Even then, the éS Accel and the éS Sal 23 were two of the most iconic models on the market. Thanks to these shoes, éS was able to easily spring back into the game after their hiatus. Both models were wildly popular and sought-after and on various internet platforms, there was a clear push for a throwback to these classics. The wishes of shoe and skate fans everywhere were fulfilled and both models were brought back and are finally obtainable again. In fact, the Accel is not only available in the OG Version, but also in the stripped-down Slim Variation as well as the Vulcanised Model. What really rounds off these products is the iconic éS logo which, by the way, comes from the last two letters of “Etnies”.
Get your éS skate shoes now in the skatedeluxe Online Skate Shop because: “Skateboarding starts with éS!”
