In the late \'80s, Pierre Andre Senizergues was a pro skateboarder riding for etnies, an
upstart brand owned by a French manufacturing company. At the time, he had no idea that in 20 years he'd be owner and C.E.O. of Sole Technology Inc., the umbrella brand that grew to include etnies, Emerica, éS, and ThirtyTwo Snowboard Boots. Nor that he and his company would be based not in his native France, but in California.

Ironically, it was Senizergues's move to SoCal in 1990 to distribute etnies in the United States that almost caused his undoing. "There was a recession in the United States, and at the same time, a recession in skateboarding," he recalls. Entering the skate market during a downturn didn't deter him, however, and by 1994, a renewed interest in street skating had kids migrating from ramps and parks to the handrails and stairways of the urban jungle-and Senizergues was ready, bringing technically advanced shoes to guys who desperately needed it.

"A lot of people were wearing [adidas] Gazelles or Pumas," he says. "You can't skate with those shoes because after 10 minutes you have a hole in the upper." Etnies' reinforced leathers and suedes changed the game, and helped the company evolve and grow for two decades. At a time when Sole Tech and etnies continue to use new technologies to make safer, more comfortable skate shoes, the brand will celebrate its 20th year by rereleasing iconic silhouettes, slimming down the profiles, and producing
special-edition colorways. But then etnies has always been about one thing: staying ahead of the pack. etnies.com