| K-Swiss was founded in 1966 by two Swiss brothers who took up tennis after migrating to California. K-Swiss designed its first shoe, the K-Swiss “Classic’, the first all-leather tennis shoe with the patent five-stripe band on each side. It had a one-piece rubber outsole and the D-ring lacing system. The five stripes at the side prevent the shoe from stretching out of shape.
Since its establishment, K-Swiss has designed and marketed a range of athletic shoes mainly for tennis players as well as casual sneakers. The footwear company also designs and manufactures footwear under its wholly-owned subsidiary, Royal Elastics, Inc., which specializes in slip-on footwear. In 1985, Steven Nichols, while working at Stride Rite, headed a group of investors that eventually bought K-Swiss Company in a $20 million deal. In the 1990s, Steven Nichols heavily advertised the K-Swiss brand due to which its popularity grew. One such advertising campaign encourages customers to personalize the trademark stripes or, in K-Swiss words, allows you to “Put Your Spin on It”. It allows one to select the color of the shoe to match the lace to the sole or even the color of the K-Swiss shield logo. There are 19 different colors to choose from. Consumers can even put their names or nicknames on the shoe to add that personal touch.
The K-Swiss Classic white stripes on white leather tennis shoe is still a bestseller and accounts for two-thirds of K-Swiss sales. Besides being stylish, they are also comfortable shoes to wear. |
