Etnies' 35th anniversary: Pierre-Andre Senizergues Interview
Pierre-Andre Senizergues
May 14, 2021
Congratulations on Etnies' 35th anniversary Pierre! What does this milestone mean to you?
It means the same for me as from day one. It’s about celebrating the passion, innovation and culture of the past 35 years. I’m honoured to work alongside the people who have been involved with etnies from the beginning: the Rautureau family, Platoon (RIP), Natas, Don Brown, Franck Boistel, Gilles deLaPointe, Yogi Proctor, Yasemin Oktay Hume, Mike Manzoori, Jason Smith, Eladio Correa, Uglio, Patrice Fernandez Lowe, Ruedi Matter, Rick Strassner, Brenda Springer, French Franck, Charlie Manos, John Povah, Rick Marmolijo, Nick Umbenhower, Brian Cook, Susanne Dachgruber, Bas Janssen and I could go on and on. This is a family bound by the right purpose, which is to inspire youth in action sports... yesterday, today and in the future.
Your involvement in shoe design was born of necessity - the poor quality of vulcanised footwear at the time causing regular injury - at what point did the urgency to create something better provoke you to actually get involved beyond mere conjecture?
I started skateboarding in 1977, and immediately had to start duck taping and super gluing my shoes late at night in my parents’ garage trying to fix shoes to work for skateboarding! Sacre bleu!!!
The advent of cupsoles with board feel was key to the brand's initial success - as was the representation of a certain Natas Kaupas - how much do you credit fortunate timing of key progressive facets of shoe design and the shift to street skating happing concurrently?
Some say timing is everything, I agree with this, but I also think we were prepared for this. It takes hard work on the front end to be ready for things to come together as they did. Fixing mine and my friends’ shoes in the ‘70-80s helped me to be ready in a big way. Coming to California in ‘85 right at the beginning of street skating, meeting and skating with the biggest legends of the mid ‘80s was a huge inspiration. We were ready for a change with cupsole and with etnies, we drove full speed ahead with it.
Talking of Natas, is it true his initial involvement came around due to the serendipitously located copy of Thrasher in Rip City Skate shop?
Yes, correct – a coincidence plus a lucky move.
Whilst we're mentioning serendipity, the Red Etnies Rap (that was actually ordered black) that Sal championed was a key moment as skateboarding moved into the 90's. But it would be unfair to suggest success lies squarely at the feet of luck - understanding that skaters were cutting down high tops and responding with suitable product was undoubtedly the next big leap in brand progress - do you believe it was your back ground as a skater that allowed you to recognise real world trends and function that others might have passed over as a fad?
Yes, coming from Europe and specifically growing up in Paris helped me to recognize trends, but also Sal has always been a trendsetter. I noticed this about him right away. He was raised in Louisiana, which has a lot of European influences mixed with his time in Los Angeles. His perspective is very unique among skateboarders and we have seen that proven time and time again.
It's the ability to recognise need that has kept Sole Tech at the forefront of technical innovation; from the cup sole revolution of the late 80's to the Lake Forest Sole Technology Institute labs that you moved to in 1998. When many brands would be resting on their laurels by now, what pushes this desire to constantly refine and improve?
I saw a need to improve footwear through science. I saw other sports doing it, but we can’t borrow from other sports. We needed technology built for skateboarding from skateboarders. This passion has always driven me and the team and will continue to drive innovation into the future.
A social conscience remains core to your business model. From giving shoes to the homeless to the 'Buy a shoe, plat a tree' campaign. This sense of responsibility hasn't always been exactly common place within private enterprise, what drives you to use your position to make a positive difference to the world around you?
I heard long ago and it remains with me today that you don’t build a life by what you earn, but you build a life by what you give. I’m proud that my team understands how important this is to me and that they join me in that same commitment and in these efforts to make the world a better place through our work each day.
After 35 years in the business and perhaps the most challenging years for retail in living memory, what do you hope the future holds in store for the Sole Tech stable of brands and where do you see shoe design progressing over the next decade?
For us, it’s about making better products always and to have the best shoes on your feet when you ride; to remain committed to reducing our footprint on the planet; and, to give to the people who need our shoes the most. We’ve been doing all of this for 35 years and we don’t plan to stop.