LA Gear is back after a number of false starts throughout the years.
On Nov. 18, the Los Angeles-inspired clothing and footwear company will relaunch with a fresh look, updated website, and new shoe designs designed by Dave Osokow, the company’s recently recruited creative director.
Osokow, a co-founder of the eyewear brand Privé Revaux, will introduce the Boardwalk lifestyle shoe for its initial release. The unisex design is made with a leather upper, terry cloth lining, and a 10 to 12-hour rechargeable LED tongue. It was inspired by LA Gear’s vintage Unstoppable Collection.
In a statement, Osokow stated that the Boardwalk’s “modern style is a tribute to the old-school masterpieces we love from the ’90s.” A contemporary retro vibe for your everyday attire.
In the early 1980s, when LA Gear first opened as a women’s store and became famous for its distinctive light-up sneaker designs, Jay Jackson, EVP of LA Gear’s parent company ACI International and brand manager, said the firm is “thrilled” to have the designer on board.
In a statement, Jackson added that his artistic flair and entrepreneurial energy “match with our long-term goal and dedication to create and produce excellent items that represent our legacy, contemporary footwear, and style trends, and grow our exposure.”
LA Gear is collaborating with Fred Segal, a specialty retailer located in Los Angeles, to introduce the look. Fred Segal will sell the new Boardwalk silhouette both in-person and online at its main location on Sunset Boulevard.
A retail relationship “celebrates the legacy of LA Gear, the history of our city, and the genuineness of an inclusive lifestyle,” Jackson continued. “Fred Segal transformed the style-culture of Los Angeles.” “We are excited about building distinctive collections and experiences in the future.”
The Boardwalk will cost $100 and be a part of LA Gear’s vintage footwear lineup, which also includes Catapult, Flame, and Turbo.
LA Gear will expand its distribution to Aerie offline and online stores in the spring of 2023, followed by a few key independent retail partners. LA Gear intends to expand into Nordstrom and Journeys Kidz in the autumn of 2023.
Over the years, the Los Angeles-based business has attempted multiple additional relaunches.
Under the supervision of the artist and footwear designer Alexander-John, in January 2021. The designer, whose past partnerships with New Balance, Puma, and Reebok include this one, debuted his first-ever women-only capsule collection for the company, giving him the opportunity to honour Black women at a pivotal point in American society.
Rapper Tyga was chosen as the brand ambassador and creative adviser for the company, which was created by Robert Greenberg in 1983 and purchased by ACI International in the early 2000s, in order to relaunch in a “whole new way” in 2015.
