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| Company type | Privately held |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sportswear,footwear |
| Founded | 1966; 60 years ago (1966) |
| Founders |
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| Headquarters |
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Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Footwear, sportswear |
| Parent | KP Global |
| Website | www |
K-Swiss, Inc. is an Americanathletic shoebrand based inGlendale, California, founded in 1966.
K-Swiss was founded in 1966 inLos Angeles bySwiss brothers Art and Ernie Brunner. They became interested intennis afteremigrating to the United States. They imported leather tennis shoes from the Swiss shoe manufacturer Kuenzli. K-Swiss is the pairing of "K" in Kuenzli and "Swiss".[1][2]
K-Swiss purchased the majority stake of Australian brandRoyal Elastics in 2001.[3] It sold Royal Elastics to a management-led investment group in 2009, recording a gain of $1.4 million in the second quarter.[4]
In January 2013, the company — which posted $195 million in losses between 2009 and 2012[5] — was sold to Korean firmE-Land World Limited for $170 million.[6] The following May, E-Land named a new executive team to oversee the newly formed K-Swiss Inc., including Truman Kim as chairman and Larry Remington as president and CEO.[7]
On June 1, 2015, K-Swiss acquiredSupra Footwear.[8] It moved its headquarters fromWestlake Village to Downtown Los Angeles in 2016.[9][10][11]
In August 2019, E-Land Footwear USA Holdings Inc. and consequently K-Swiss was acquired byXtep International Holdings Limited, a Chinese sports equipment manufacturer.[12] In 2024, K-Swiss was sold and privatized under KP Global for $151 million, and moved its headquarters toGlendale, California.[13]
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In the 1990s, Steven Nichols boosted K-Swiss's marketing budget, and hired a number of key individuals from large companies, such asProcter & Gamble. Award-winning Creative Director Mindy Gale led her NY based agency team in developing and producing K-Swiss advertising and publicity campaigns from 1997 until 2008.[citation needed] The "I Wear My K-Swiss" multi-media campaign ran for five consecutive years, targeting young urban consumers in print and on TV.[citation needed]
A re-branding campaign featuringAnna Kournikova rolled out in 2007.[15] A 2011 advertisement, featuringDanny McBride as fictional characterKenny Powers, drew attention for its use of profanity.[16]
In September 2014, the company unveiled a new marque. The new identity was created by a recently appointed internal creative team and plays up the company's heritage as an American tennis brand. All aspects of the new brand's design, including its 1966 typeface and tennis court color palette, hark back to this identity.[17] The company has been sponsoring events that appeal to their market as well as events which are likely to shape buying attitudes and help generate a positive reaction. One example is the sponsorship of Ireland's first sneaker convention run by Dub City Sneakz inDún Laoghaire which K-Swiss sponsored.[18]
In 2016, K-Swiss president Barney Waters made it the brand's mission to "make sneakers for entrepreneurs."[19] The brand furthered this marketing angle by launching a collaboration with entrepreneurGary Vaynerchuk in 2017.[20] The company has since launched campaigns with other entrepreneurs, includingKaren Civil, Ben Baller, and Natalie Ellis.[21][22]
In 2019, K-Swiss debuted a shoe collaboration with TV seriesBreaking Bad.[23]
Media related toK-Swiss at Wikimedia Commons
