K Swiss Shoes

The sneaker game has changed. Gone are the days when we would just wear sports shoes for playing. Nowadays, sneakers are worn during the day, in offices as a casual work outfit. They are worn to match an outfit, the reason they are liked is that they are more comfortable than heels, or official men’s shoes.

Going to a sneaker shop and buying shoes is a process for shoe lovers. To pick the right footwear, you first look at the brand, where to use it, and durability. K Swiss is an excellent reputable brand that has been in the industry for 54 years. It is best known for tennis shoes and producing white footwear made of leather called 'The Classic.' It had been sold all over the world ever since the company was formed. As years went by, K Swiss has strategized itself to fit the modern culture creating fashion statement shoes for athletes, sports stars, and non-athletes.

With many sports shoe companies like Adidas, Nike, and others, K Swiss shoes are definitely worth checking out. It mixes a premium touch into its versatile shoe by adding leather in some of its shoes.

History

The K swiss was formed in 1966 under the name Brunners Ltd. It was owned by two brothers Art and Ernie Brunner, who partnered with the Kunzli Swiss company from Switzerland to distribute shoes to the USA. This is because Brunners Ltd was located in the USA. In 1972 Brunners Ltd changed their name to K Swiss the K, meaning Kunzli. It also stopped being a distributor and instead began producing tennis shoes in the USA. Love for tennis is what made the Brunner brothers join the tennis shoemaking industry.

The K Swiss company is famous for producing the first-ever leather tennis shoes - where it was used in the tennis courts, and out. The tennis shoes did not focus on fashion trends but more on the comfort of the tennis player. It focused on the pain points like comfortability on the feet’s sole and the structure of the upper shoe.

Without any advertising, the company let its work speak for itself. The company was selling the shoes to so many people tennis players and non-tennis players through word of mouth. The company's location played a significant part in its growth. It was situated in California, reaching its target market and also the Japanese. Through that, it became famous in Japan and opening many accounts there, thus increasing sales.

Every market has competition. Well, in the 1980s, the athletic sportswear industry expanded with competitors like Nike growing. Those companies made sportswear that was not just the old plain sportswear. They created a fashion statement sportswear that would be won when playing or casually. Sales for K swiss in the USA dipped because consumers had a wide variety to choose from. In Japan, sales were not that bad compared to those in the US.

In the mid-1980s, Steven Nichols, president of Stride Rite Corporation, saw the potential of the K swiss company. Since he discussed acquiring K swiss to Stride Rite's investors and showed how they would earn a lot of profit, all in all, the company did not invest, making Steven resign. He was a risk-taker, and he knew the potential of the company. He later gained investors and raised enough money to acquire the K swiss company. He knew the game of running a successful company and how to play it in that competitive market.

Being the CEO, he introduced a new team that mainly focused on marketing. He also outsourced services in developing the company's advertising campaign that ran for five years. And for the first time, the company ran advertisements and sales increased. In Japan, he reduced the number of accounts, which surprisingly increased the company's sales.

Through the time that Steven Nichols was CEO, the company prospered and regained its market share in the industry. It also launched a new version of the classic shoe and sold to other countries like the UK and new continents like Europe. It also won awards like in 1993 it gained as the shoe of the year. It expanded its market by launching shoes for different sports like basketball shoes and hiking shoes.

In 2008 the company was then sold to a Taiwanese businessman but later filed bankruptcy, and later in 2013, the company was sold to a Korean company named Eland World ltd who currently owns K swiss. It hired a new team to regain its position in the market. Larry Remington is the CEO and Truman Kim, the chairman.

The company wholly rebranded but still retained its name. Even though a Korean company owned it, it kept its heritage as an American company, with its headquarters still located in Los Angeles, California. It sponsored events that targeted its market to reach more customers,

The company later changed its mission "to make sneakers for entrepreneurs." It launched campaigns with entrepreneurs like Gary Vaa, whose sneakers sold out in minutes, Natalie Ellis, Karen Civil, and Ben Baller. It also collaborated with the TV series Breaking Bad by Sony Pictures and produced shoes under that category.

The company also launched a new collection of shoes consisting of 3 shoes focused on "CEOs" for those working tirelessly to build their brand. Those that travel to different places to meet with clients, exercise, and still run their company.

Throughout the years, the company has rebranded multiple times to attract more consumers like in 2007 it featured “Anna Kounikera” to reach more women.

Where to buy

The shoes can be bought online in the K Swiss official site, footlocker, and amazon. In retail stores like Walmart, the boots are made in various parts of the world like in Asia and America. To be close to customers and the shoes to reach them faster and the closer the boots are to the customers, the lower the production costs. In Asia, the cost of labor is also low.

Features of K swiss shoes

1. Comfort

Since 1966 K Swiss shoes have been known for comfort. Their shoes can be worn for an extended period without experiencing discomfort or bruising. That is why they could be worn in country clubs; mostly, there was no reason to carry multiple shoes. One was enough instead of 2 where one was used in playing tennis, and the other while relaxing in the country club.

With the advancement in technology, K Swiss use memory foam footbeds, which conform to the shape of the foot, creating a customized fit that can be worn by any foot type.

To avoid bruising on the ankles like how other shoes do K Swiss has added extra padding in the ankle areas.

The shoes are also lightweight making them flexible to run with. They can be worn all day if they are light. When a shoe is heavy, it tires the owner quickly, making the owner dislike them and dissatisfied, leaving a bad review. Also, it reduces the speed of the runner, which leads to the loss of a race, and with that many sports, players would not support the company.

2. Breathable

No one likes sweaty feet. They cause smelly feet, which is an unpleasant experience when removing shoes to your friends and family. To avoid that, K Swiss made their shoes with breathable features. They ensure your feet remain cool the entire day.

They have accomplished that by adding ventilated holes and adding a mesh pattern. The ventilation features make the sneakers to be worn during sporty activities and doing day to day activities.

3. Durable

In 1966 the K swiss were known for having leather on tennis shoes. The leather made the shoes more durable and still created a stylish look. Since they were designed for athletic purposes, durability is critical. Athletics choose shoes that will last longer and not that they have already worn out in a few months of purchasing the boots. The leather also was used to reinforce common areas that usually break down.

K Swiss focused on its shoe outsole since it is the part that comes into contact with the ground, which is rough. That sole is made of thick rubber to ensure it doesn't wear out fast, and the feet do not feel the ground. That might cause the feet to hurt.

4. Economical

Due to advanced technology costs of producing shoes have gone lower by using different materials. In creating some boots, the company uses recycled products. Like rubber, instead of buying the usual rubber, they use recycled rubber when making the shoe's sole. The shoe's lace is also made of recycled cotton, and the mesh is made from recycled plastic bottles. Even though the company uses recycled materials, they still make sure they are of quality and have a premium feel.

While saving on cost, the company also makes environmentally friendly shoes. Recycling saves energy and reduces pollution. The company has shoes ranging from $50 to $119 fitting most people's budget in one of the shoe collections. The company broke down its total cost of producing the show, and with that transparency, people understand the pricing of the shoe.

The low-cost shoes are sold only on their website to reduce additional charges when sold to intermediaries who increase prices.

5. Traction

Have you ever bought shoes that kept sliding in places, making you lose balance? I bet you stopped wearing those shoes. The worst-case scenario is falling when training and losing a game or race because your shoes slipped.

A right shoe should have an excellent grip and traction, which means that when moving the boots gives you a firm grip, your shoes don't slip off. To achieve this, the shoes have to have a tread pattern and the right rubber composition that protects you from slipping in steep slopes, wet areas, or dry areas.

The K swiss shoes achieve all that and prevent skidding or slipping. They are more suitable for casual walking, on tarmacked roads, and running tracks. If you are looking for shoes to run with on off-road surfaces, they may not be suitable.

For example, in 2005, the Bryan brothers won the Olympic gold medal while wearing K Swiss, and some NBA players have been spotted wearing them. This shows that they have excellent traction.

6. Style

For the shoe to be worn by many people, K Swiss has created different shoes to suit different people and purposes. Some boots were made with bright colors and even neon colors to attract women's attention to reach out to women.

There are also shoes for both men and women with wide feet. Their style is also worn with the young generation; they have excellent designs and pleasant color schemes. Through their campaigns, the company was able to reach the young. They collaborated with Sony and used the TV series Breaking Bad to create shoes that attracted that market—working with young entrepreneurs like Gary Vaa, the company designed shoes that fitted the modern lifestyle using a good color scheme.

The shoes could be worn in workplaces, while exercising, and meeting with friends or when doing day to day activities. K Swiss is known for using leather on some shoes; this creates a luxurious feeling on the boots. Fitting the lush lifestyle of most sports celebrities.

K Swiss is a good brand that has been in the industry for 54 years and creates good shoes that tick all the boxes of features of being a right shoe that is long-lasting. Even if K Swiss expanded its territory, it is best known for making the best tennis shoes and is used by many tennis players.

Moving from different owners, K Swiss has been through tough times like drop of sales; it still came back with people that believed in its potential like Steven Nichols. Steven played a significant role in the company's success. If not for his hard work to reposition the company, K Swiss would not be worth the millions. It has built its reputation by not having scandals and delivering top-notch shoes.