About company
The origins of Emerica date back to 1995 and etnies Footwear. French shoe company Rautureau Apple, who started etnies in 1986, was bought out by a European shoe conglomerate, which was, in turn, acquired by an American company. Pierre-André Senizergues, who had been designing and distributing etnies in the U.S. since 1990 under the name etnies America, lost the licensing rights to the etnies name after the acquisition. He then started a new brand called Emerica, which simply shortened the name etnies America. In 1995, Pierre-André bought the rights to the etnies name outright and continued producing both brands. Emerica focused on core skateboarding, while etnies pursued a broader market with surf, women's, BMX and moto-x footwear in addition to its skate shoe.
