The problem was LA gear was decades ahead of it's time. It focused on fashion and celebrity over athletes and technology. What's going on now with Yezzeys and Off white and other fashion designer brand sneakers terrible for actual sports use, is what LA Gear had in mind way back then.
100 percent correct. If you were looking to buy some sneakers for hard sporting use, LA GEAR usually wasn't even in the conversation. There were department store off brands that were actually more suitable. But for dressing up and stuff like that, LA Gear was always a top choice.
My parents owned a shoe store in the 80's-90's. When my dad passed away 3 years ago I was cleaning up the basement of his old warehouse and I came across 5 brand new in box LA lights sneakers. I also found 3 brand new boxes of a nostalgic shoe called British Knights.
@Josh Dincola lol yeah it was definitely the moment I realized sneakers mattered in my neighborhood...those Nike joints are definitely sick but I feel like they get more love as retros than they did back in the day because REEBOK had the pump game on lock in 1990 lol
@Josh Dincola oh for sure those are cold...my favorite pumps are the shaq attack pumps tho...im all about that 80s 90s nostalgia...at this point I have all the toys and most of the sneakers I never got as a kid lmao...except I cant seem to get my hands on any Reebok pumps which sucks lol
LA Gear does hold a special place in my heart growing up, my parents got me a pair of LA Lights growing up (which worked to my disadvantage when playing hide and seek as a kid) as well as other shoes, though the one thing I always remembered liking was the LA Gear mini license plate keychain that came with it, always liked snagging those when I got a pair. Ah, memories.
I remember a news story about a guy who robbed a liquor store and fled into the woods. The cops could follow him because he wore those light up heel shoes.
I remember all this in high school I just find it funny that the Thriller leather jackets were hot as hell and sold out everywhere but the Billie Jean high tops flopped
I think by 1990 people were a lil' fatigued by MJ. We were on year Three of the Bad promotion, brining in baggage from the 80s into the new decade. If his shoes came out around August '87, it would have been a completely different story.
There were a load of brands I remember from this era, Troop, SPX, Patrick Ewings, British Knights, Champions, if you had any of these you were super cool!
I remember a friend of mine had a pair of LA Lights, and he was suffering neck pain from turning his neck too much to see the lights turn on... It was hilarious!!
True story: First and foremost I am a sneakerhead. Been collecting since the late 90s and in the mid 90s I was doing what I could to get a little money for sneakers. Baby sitting, cleaning and vacuuming the apartment building me and my parents lived in so the landlord would give me $50 and give my parents a $50 rent discount. I got hundreds of shoes. Mostly Nike and Air Jordan. and a few others. ANyway, when I was young I actually chose the L.A. Gear Regulator (the pair pictured in this video) over the Air Jordan 6 Og, the black and infrared. Had to be around '91. No bullshit. That is how cool the LA Gears were back in the day. I've shared that story with people nowadays and they think I was crazy. But at the time is was a good move. Not much later I got a pair of the LA Gear Street Hikers, we used to call them LAGear stompers. Those were fire too. Those were my only pairs of LAGears but still remember them. Part of my childhood.
I only heard of them when I got to Canada (98) ....and by then they were pretty much known as the poor kids' budget sneakers from what I gathered back then. Most kids in both my elementary school and high school years avoided them like the plague lol.
I rocked the All Black LA Gear in my 11 Grade year. Man, I Loved them shoes! My mom wasn’t gonna buy me Nike cause they were to expensive and the LA Gear was affordable
You asked for memories of LA Gear. During the LA Gear craze I was a manager for Big 5 sptg goods and there wasnt much bigger than an LA Gear shoe sale. I don’t recall any defective shoes but what drove us nuts was the creative ways of lacing the shoes! Every mom and teen daughter wanted us to lace their shoes for them that would utilize 2 laces per shoe. Some of these lace designs were time consuming to do and customers did get upset if they had to do it themselves. LA Gear for men didn’t do much, this shoe brand was driven by women, shoes, clothes promoting a lifestyle for young women, they should have focused there. My own wife and very young daughter were caught up in LA Gear lifestyle, frequently coming in to the store to check out new shoe designs and clothing. My wife started off with the Reebok hi-top fever by getting them in pink, black and white. Once she saw LA Gear, she never looked back, it wasn’t about function for women, it was all about the look.
Man i totally remember kids trying to collect those cali plates keychains.. thank you for covering this. My class in gr 4-5 was all over these or kswiss
Man I was so damn jealous of people that could afford anything name brand . The closest I ever got was a pair of shitty vans in 8th grade and I didn't skateboard. I didn't get my first pair of k swiss until I was in 10th grade that I paid for myself because I had a job by that time . Poverty sucked , but made me a better person, at least that's what I tell myself 🤣
@@philipsmi-lenguyen8155 never trash donlops . I had about 10 pairs in my lifetime. But that's probably the reason I have back , leg and feet problems at my age . 🤣 Also you brought back terrible memories of being picked on for my cheap ass Aeorosports . Funny now but not then .😁
LA GEAR rocked back in the day. The lights, regulator, and catapult was all great shoes. I bought my misses an original pair of 1991 regulator pumps about two months ago. Completely wearable. No sole separation what so ever. If I ever find a pair in my size it's an instant cop. Great video! 🙏🏻👊
@@d.felixphoto2260 same lol. I don't get the hate. I'm a huge Reebok pump fan, but I don't consider the regulator a knockoff. I think it's a beautiful shoe. I'm always on the lookout. 👍
What a throw back! I had a couple pairs of LA Gear Regulators, everyone did. We always got in trouble for pumping them up and then the loud "hiss" releasing the pressure in class. There was also Vans, Ellesse. What happened to Vision Street Wear and Soaps?
LA Gear was so memorable growing up during the late 80s and during 90s the LA Lights from LA Gear was so cool I remembered my mom bought a few pairs when I was in elementary school it was cool to own back in the day.
Very interesting. I was a teenager in the late 80s early 90s and wore LA Gear sneakers, they were so cool at the time and I always wondered what happened to the brand.
My uncle came from the US and brought a lot of shoes, one of them was a pair of white, low top LA Gears that went to my dad. I didn't like them too much to be honest but my dad says that was the best pair of shoes he's ever had lol. Nice video man.
It wouldn't surprise me if they did make a comeback. When I was a kid, Champion was sold at Walmart, now it's in the malls and outlets all expensive AF.
Sadly the sneaker wars were at their peak from 1987-1991 and then fizzled out each year after that. But in the 80s' there were A LOT more brands on store shelves, by the late 90s though the only brands you really saw were Nike, Reebok, Adidas, and Converse in shoe stores in the mall. Department stores such as Famous Footwear might have still carried other brands, but Foot Locker went from offering 20 different brands in the 80s to about 5 brands by 1997. Once the 2000's happened the selection got even smaller....and you had to use websites like zappos to find other brands. Now in the 20's Foot Locker will no longer carry Nike anymore, hopefully this means they will offer more variety again.
I had three pairs of LA Gears, and just like that college player, my shoes fell apart while playing sports. After those experiences, I told my mom to stop buying me LA Gears. lol I thought they looked cool, but I couldn't trust that they would last. lol. Adidas became my go to sneakers.
Man LA gear was hot back in the days. A few months ago I was reminiscing about em and looked up the company. Found out that they still sold em at Payless of all places. I ended up grabbing my kid an LA gear shirt just for the nostalgia factor.
@@NachoAverageFinds I was at the mall the other day and saw some teen with an LA gear sweater because the whole 90s and early 2000 thing is popular now.
@@12012channel Emo kids are back too. It’s funny how they romanticize them. Emo kids were a joke and it was a bit of an insult to be called one back then.
As a Canadian, I loved L.A. Gear the light up ones as a kid back in the 90's. That love made me buy some British Knights and the classic K-Swiss all whites.
Damn Robert had 2 great runs in life. To have a popular brand and rise fast. Then had a few hard times, then stated a new company and became just as big or bigger. Depending on who you ask. Just incredible.
I had a pair of Regulators. That exact color way you showed. I seem to remember another pair of LA Gears I owned too. But soon after I got some Jordan VI’s and never looked back.
90’s LA Gear memory . White, neon green, neon pink high tops with with the same tri-colored laces with the lights . 3 individual laces you had to tie together. Ah!
I had a pair very popular in the hood...right before Timberlands...i think this is when they reached their peak...those boots were everywhere for a quick minute
My cousin had some L.A Gear shoes, don't remember what model, but they were high tops and something like a air window like Nike's have. There was also a local dance group here in Belgium in the 90's called B.B Jerome and the Bang Gang. They wore L.A Gears in there performances on tv. I thought they were kinda cool.
I had the LA Gear lights! The video brings back many memories. Instead of MJ they should of signed NWA members like Cube, Dre, and Eazy and marketed to the emerging LA hip hop scene which dominated the 90s....imagine!
I used to had one. Back then in 1996 in Malaysia, LA Gear were categorized as a premium shoes because of it prices. Thanks Nacho Average Finds for this great information
I don't recall that commercial but I do recall having a pair. I liked the awkward departure from the video and what sounded like dropping broom sticks.
I have a pair of shox r4 red and silver colorway. I love it. It outlasted many of my air max tn. I won't say its super snug and comfortable. I love the look, design and I still rock em among my other sneaker rotations esp all the Aj's. Much love to shox for lasting sooooo long and no creases. I copped em at a nike factory outlet and it's money wel spent.
There was a sneaker war?! In 1990 I was 11years old, and I remember getting a pair of Nike Air Jordan in orange, blue, white and yellow! Man they were VERY Jazzy! 😊 I loved them, those hideous things! I can't believe they're actually considered vintage now, AND actually still worth something!
I had a pair of Regulators and my friend had the Catapults. I really liked them and especially the licence plate hang tags. Maybe a Troop video would be good I had a pair of Pro Performance in the early 90s and loved the badge on the front. Would be surprif Nike didn't take legal action against them as all thier shoes looked like Jordans. Great video and it just goes to show how many of these companies are on the edge of bankruptcy and they either make it like Nike did or create another company that makes it like Sketchers, which I have just learned were the LA Gear guys. Crazy!
Thanks Christian! The Catapults are also my favorite silhouette even though they're def just a rip off of some Jordans haha. We will do a Troop video at some point.
@@NachoAverageFinds don't know if I'm imagining this but didn’t the catapults make a clicking sound which was the mechanism working? Also the release valve on the regulators make a better and louder sound than Reebok pumps. Can you tell I've been thinking about LA Gear since I watched the video... even had a look through some old things to see if I had saved the hang tag, but no luck.
I remember being sooo jealous of classmates that got the light up LA Gears when I was in grade school in the early 90s. It seems like by the time I was in my early teens they were being sold at Walmart.
Good video as always! Until I found this channel, I only knew LA Gear for that incident where one of their shoes fell apart during a basketball game. Didn’t know they were 3rd in the industry at one point, and never heard about that deal with MJ!
I still wear LA Looks hair gel. I think in the 80's it was when people regularly started calling Los Angeles, LA. It was very marketable...nowadays and starting in the mid 90s LA's reputation is tarnished.
The LA Gears that I remember from the early 90s were their LA Lights that lit up with every step. They were so frickin popular in Australia 30 years ago!
I had those LA Gear Lights and I loved them. All those hoop shoes were awesome too but after Michael Jackson and the move back to girly fitness shoes, I was done with the brand. I don't see any comeback for the the brand and I hate skechers. But great, great history video. It was such a cool time travel imo. Ducking loved it 💯🔥🔥🔥👍
From what I remember for just a quick second the LA Gear boots were popular in the hood...even Nike came came out with a boot that was dope too...i would say around 89-90 just before Timberland spread like wild fire
Soon as I seen the LA lights I remember sat down in school assembly and as kids walked in you would notice the lights.. I had both..I really liked my LA pumps..they were so comfy.
I remember and had a pair or two of those LA light up shoes. I may be misremembering but wasn’t Ron Artest (Metta World Peace) going to do a huge deal with LA gear and was all ready to go and then the “malice at the palace” happened? I feel like he talked about that in a interview somewhere.
I don't know but that would have been epic for this video if they did sign him and then malice at the palace happened. Imagine Ron Artest punching people in light up kicks haahha
Do you have a video about British Knights or Kappa? Maybe Cappa? (the shoes with the 2 sets of laces and all the college colors and I want to say branding). I remember everyone having those in school
I was born in 92 so I do remember light up shoes were the shit back in the day lol I know I had some but I do not remember if it was from this brand lol
@@NachoAverageFinds I remember my mom bought me a pair from payless too. I don't think they were knockoffs because I would only get my shoes from payless and I always got LA Gears.
Thank You 🙏 for this as a little kid of the early 90’s I remember seeing MJ wearing LA GEAR and seeing on episodes of Saved By The Bell......As ALWAYS GREAT JOB.....if I may give a suggestion for your next videos it should be on TROOP(1980’s Brand LL COOL J wore a lot), AVÍA(Similar To LA GEAR) and Le Coq Sportif(my Uncle as teenager in the 80’s here in Queens NY had a lot of there Tracksuits) THANK YOU 🙏
@@NachoAverageFinds OF COURSE forgot about those brands. Remember how they came back in the early 2000’s had a couple pairs of Pony....Another Dope shoe are Pro-Keds
@@NachoAverageFinds That's it, I'm drilling holes in my NB 997's and putting red led for left foot and green for right foot (just like Kickers when I a kid).
I had a pair of the LA lights back when I was young. When the shoes had worn out we took the light thing out of the shoes, was interesting they had mercury that moved to make the light function. Thanks for posting this video, id always wondered what happened to LA Gear.
This brings back some old memories. I always thought LA Gear was kind of a shoe for special kids. In the 80's, it was Reebok and Nikes. I recall British Knights as well -- which I believe made its way into the ghetto for young gang members--referring to them as "Blood Killers." Oh the 80's.
I was there at the beginning of LAGear as I named the company and created the biggest store on Melrose Avenue in April of 1983 all with the help and $ of Robert Greenberg, still my best friend today👍 Steve Barraza
The problem was LA gear was decades ahead of it's time. It focused on fashion and celebrity over athletes and technology. What's going on now with Yezzeys and Off white and other fashion designer brand sneakers terrible for actual sports use, is what LA Gear had in mind way back then.
Holy crap never thought of it like that
100 percent correct. If you were looking to buy some sneakers for hard sporting use, LA GEAR usually wasn't even in the conversation. There were department store off brands that were actually more suitable. But for dressing up and stuff like that, LA Gear was always a top choice.
Athleisure fashion, right, right
ruclips.net/video/byH21L6vjiw/видео.htmlsi=g4zAest4xSlNP3Cm
My parents owned a shoe store in the 80's-90's. When my dad passed away 3 years ago I was cleaning up the basement of his old warehouse and I came across 5 brand new in box LA lights sneakers. I also found 3 brand new boxes of a nostalgic shoe called British Knights.
@@esnythejeweler3122 They must be rotten by now
British knights were the shit 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
That’s cool
The BK pin
@@marekokragy3341
dzięki za info,Janusz.
I just remember being 8 years old and all I wanted was the Reebok Pump and my mom got me the Regulators and I couldn't have been more embarrassed lol
@Josh Dincola lol yeah it was definitely the moment I realized sneakers mattered in my neighborhood...those Nike joints are definitely sick but I feel like they get more love as retros than they did back in the day because REEBOK had the pump game on lock in 1990 lol
@Josh Dincola oh for sure those are cold...my favorite pumps are the shaq attack pumps tho...im all about that 80s 90s nostalgia...at this point I have all the toys and most of the sneakers I never got as a kid lmao...except I cant seem to get my hands on any Reebok pumps which sucks lol
@@seanmichael8744 Just saw a vintage pair at Wasteland on Melrose a few days ago
@@antblanks of Regulators or Pumps? Either is like finding a unicorn tho lol
@@seanmichael8744 Same here growing up as a kid there was a lot of stuff I wanted that I buy vintage now just for the nostalgia.
I remember the LA Gear in the 90s…it’s crazy because that’s stuff would be so dope to wear now
No.. they’re as lame today as back then. Please.
Yep, I agree for sure. The whole retro thing.
Yeah, they'd be cash RN.
I agree, you just gotta see a popular icon today wear them in a cool way or whatever and boom they're back...
"He (Michael Jackson) will touch the kids around the world of all ages" quote didn't age too well😳
terrible haha
@@NachoAverageFinds yet accurate. Foreshadowing at its finest. Lol
No it did not:
ruclips.net/p/PLeltLPR4SjLr67tBqTzWC9Hdnh_UURKMx
Hahahhahahahhahahha def not
Spat my cornflakes out
LA Gear does hold a special place in my heart growing up, my parents got me a pair of LA Lights growing up (which worked to my disadvantage when playing hide and seek as a kid) as well as other shoes, though the one thing I always remembered liking was the LA Gear mini license plate keychain that came with it, always liked snagging those when I got a pair. Ah, memories.
I had the first generation LA Lights. The whole heel didn’t light up; it was just two little red dots on the side of the heel. I loved those shoes!
Same
I remember a news story about a guy who robbed a liquor store and fled into the woods. The cops could follow him because he wore those light up heel shoes.
“He will touch the children of all ages all over the world”
Yeah that part...😅😅😅
I was exactly at that part of the video and decided to scroll down and see if anyone noticed lol
I think most of us cought it and busted out laughing and stoped the video, rewinded and heard it one more time.
@@joserey5402 I couldn't believe it when i was editing it haha
@Jason C hahah
I remember all this in high school I just find it funny that the Thriller leather jackets were hot as hell and sold out everywhere but the Billie Jean high tops flopped
I kind of like the MJ shoes to be honest haha bummer they flopped.
@@NachoAverageFinds same in retrospect
I think by 1990 people were a lil' fatigued by MJ. We were on year Three of the Bad promotion, brining in baggage from the 80s into the new decade. If his shoes came out around August '87, it would have been a completely different story.
@@CBXweb true
I wanted those Billie jeans so bad 😂
There were a load of brands I remember from this era, Troop, SPX, Patrick Ewings, British Knights, Champions, if you had any of these you were super cool!
Jordache!
LA Gear could make a comeback if they do a LED sneaker collab with Tesla.
I remember a friend of mine had a pair of LA Lights, and he was suffering neck pain from turning his neck too much to see the lights turn on... It was hilarious!!
Those shoes were crazy looking at the time!!!they were the biggest thing next to jordans!
😂😂😂
True story: First and foremost I am a sneakerhead. Been collecting since the late 90s and in the mid 90s I was doing what I could to get a little money for sneakers. Baby sitting, cleaning and vacuuming the apartment building me and my parents lived in so the landlord would give me $50 and give my parents a $50 rent discount. I got hundreds of shoes. Mostly Nike and Air Jordan. and a few others. ANyway, when I was young I actually chose the L.A. Gear Regulator (the pair pictured in this video) over the Air Jordan 6 Og, the black and infrared. Had to be around '91. No bullshit. That is how cool the LA Gears were back in the day. I've shared that story with people nowadays and they think I was crazy. But at the time is was a good move. Not much later I got a pair of the LA Gear Street Hikers, we used to call them LAGear stompers. Those were fire too. Those were my only pairs of LAGears but still remember them. Part of my childhood.
True story! They were very cool very temporarily. Montana made em legit for me
You missed out on some great Jordan's but in the long run you got a great story out of it lol and that's worth more than any jordan pair.
Man I wish I would have started back then. I got rid of so many dope shoes from the 90s. I had a lot of LAGear, Nike and FILA stuff. ☹😓🤦🏾♂️🤷🏾♂️
Cool story dude
Yes they were cool at that time.
I only heard of them when I got to Canada (98) ....and by then they were pretty much known as the poor kids' budget sneakers from what I gathered back then. Most kids in both my elementary school and high school years avoided them like the plague lol.
They used to be stolen from lockers in California schools…high demand item at that time
I rocked the All Black LA Gear in my 11 Grade year. Man, I Loved them shoes! My mom wasn’t gonna buy me Nike cause they were to expensive and the LA Gear was affordable
What an awesome video. Such great writing and visual research!
You asked for memories of LA Gear. During the LA Gear craze I was a manager for Big 5 sptg goods and there wasnt much bigger than an LA Gear shoe sale. I don’t recall any defective shoes but what drove us nuts was the creative ways of lacing the shoes! Every mom and teen daughter wanted us to lace their shoes for them that would utilize 2 laces per shoe. Some of these lace designs were time consuming to do and customers did get upset if they had to do it themselves. LA Gear for men didn’t do much, this shoe brand was driven by women, shoes, clothes promoting a lifestyle for young women, they should have focused there. My own wife and very young daughter were caught up in LA Gear lifestyle, frequently coming in to the store to check out new shoe designs and clothing. My wife started off with the Reebok hi-top fever by getting them in pink, black and white. Once she saw LA Gear, she never looked back, it wasn’t about function for women, it was all about the look.
They was their original audience, women. They wanted some of that Jordan money.
Man i totally remember kids trying to collect those cali plates keychains.. thank you for covering this. My class in gr 4-5 was all over these or kswiss
Man I was so damn jealous of people that could afford anything name brand . The closest I ever got was a pair of shitty vans in 8th grade and I didn't skateboard. I didn't get my first pair of k swiss until I was in 10th grade that I paid for myself because I had a job by that time . Poverty sucked , but made me a better person, at least that's what I tell myself 🤣
I am still like this. Better to save
All I got were Aerosports or cheapazz Dunlops. Lol.
@D. Johnston 702 i thought Kswiss backwards was Ssiwsk. Lol.
@@NCXitlali you misunderstood K-Swiss awful vans I like , have pair on now . Just couldn't afford neither of them .
@@philipsmi-lenguyen8155 never trash donlops . I had about 10 pairs in my lifetime. But that's probably the reason I have back , leg and feet problems at my age . 🤣 Also you brought back terrible memories of being picked on for my cheap ass Aeorosports . Funny now but not then .😁
LA GEAR rocked back in the day. The lights, regulator, and catapult was all great shoes. I bought my misses an original pair of 1991 regulator pumps about two months ago. Completely wearable. No sole separation what so ever.
If I ever find a pair in my size it's an instant cop.
Great video! 🙏🏻👊
Also, love the Reebok blacktop t shirt you're wearing. 👍
Thanks from the kind words man. I love your channel name 😂😂
@@NachoAverageFinds thanks bro.🙏🏻👊
@@TheRetroManRandySavage a wearable pair of LA gear Regulator Pumps would bring tears to my eyes. Lol.
@@d.felixphoto2260 same lol. I don't get the hate. I'm a huge Reebok pump fan, but I don't consider the regulator a knockoff. I think it's a beautiful shoe. I'm always on the lookout. 👍
Michael didn’t even wear the jacket he was given during the presentation, that was a big red flag
Yeah looking back it didn't make sense that Michael, who's known for his Loafer shoes, to team up with a Sneakers brand.
The nostalgia is all about the lights for me. I remember my cousin got a pair and I was super jealous.
There was a year or so in like 93 when you weren’t shit if you didn’t have LA lights. I got a cheap payless version and got punked on for them
LA Gear will never make a Comeback…
*LA Gear chuckling in Champion*
Never heard of LA Gear until now. Interesting to learn that their founders went on to create Sketchers! Great, informative video as always!
Dude thanks so much Dylan. Yeah they were huge back in the day here in the US.
They retro the la gear every now and then. Dope shoes.
LA Gear was my first ever sneakers back in 1995
Really..😢 then u are super young
What a throw back! I had a couple pairs of LA Gear Regulators, everyone did. We always got in trouble for pumping them up and then the loud "hiss" releasing the pressure in class. There was also Vans, Ellesse. What happened to Vision Street Wear and Soaps?
LA Gear was so memorable growing up during the late 80s and during 90s the LA Lights from LA Gear was so cool I remembered my mom bought a few pairs when I was in elementary school it was cool to own back in the day.
They really were pretty cool as a kid. I don't know if could rock the light up shoes as adult but as a kid it was the holy grail
i grew up with this brand plus others like British Knights, Admiral, Topper…all gone……great video..nostalgic..walking down memory lane
I have never heard of LA Gear before, such a spectacular presentation, thanks Nacho and Brian, can't wait to a new upload
I’m glad you liked the video anyway Haider. Thank you 🙏🙏
I think Karl Malone wore LA Gear in the 90s
They were big on the Westcoast
Very interesting. I was a teenager in the late 80s early 90s and wore LA Gear sneakers, they were so cool at the time and I always wondered what happened to the brand.
My uncle came from the US and brought a lot of shoes, one of them was a pair of white, low top LA Gears that went to my dad. I didn't like them too much to be honest but my dad says that was the best pair of shoes he's ever had lol. Nice video man.
Thanks Eduardo! Your uncle is awesome for hooking lacing you guys up with some kicks.
@@NachoAverageFinds he brought a lot of sneakers, one of them was a pair of Nike Air Flight that went to me. Loved them
It wouldn't surprise me if they did make a comeback. When I was a kid, Champion was sold at Walmart, now it's in the malls and outlets all expensive AF.
Sadly the sneaker wars were at their peak from 1987-1991 and then fizzled out each year after that. But in the 80s' there were A LOT more brands on store shelves, by the late 90s though the only brands you really saw were Nike, Reebok, Adidas, and Converse in shoe stores in the mall. Department stores such as Famous Footwear might have still carried other brands, but Foot Locker went from offering 20 different brands in the 80s to about 5 brands by 1997. Once the 2000's happened the selection got even smaller....and you had to use websites like zappos to find other brands. Now in the 20's Foot Locker will no longer carry Nike anymore, hopefully this means they will offer more variety again.
Those black LA lights were the exact kicks I had back in the early 90s. Huge nostalgia.
I had three pairs of LA Gears, and just like that college player, my shoes fell apart while playing sports. After those experiences, I told my mom to stop buying me LA Gears. lol I thought they looked cool, but I couldn't trust that they would last. lol. Adidas became my go to sneakers.
They didn’t look cool either.. lames wore that crap shoe
@@Helmuesi911 nah man, they were in and pretty fly for the times.
I'm from the UK and LA gear were also popular here in the 90s. Everyone wanted the double laces
Man LA gear was hot back in the days. A few months ago I was reminiscing about em and looked up the company. Found out that they still sold em at Payless of all places. I ended up grabbing my kid an LA gear shirt just for the nostalgia factor.
That's awesome haha I wouldn't mind an LA Gear shirt actually. Maybe I'll end up copping one. Thanks for watching man!
Same except Payless is closed down over where I live.
@@NachoAverageFinds I was at the mall the other day and saw some teen with an LA gear sweater because the whole 90s and early 2000 thing is popular now.
@@12012channel Emo kids are back too. It’s funny how they romanticize them. Emo kids were a joke and it was a bit of an insult to be called one back then.
As a Canadian, I loved L.A. Gear the light up ones as a kid back in the 90's. That love made me buy some British Knights and the classic K-Swiss all whites.
Damn Robert had 2 great runs in life. To have a popular brand and rise fast. Then had a few hard times, then stated a new company and became just as big or bigger. Depending on who you ask. Just incredible.
Man- No kidding...
Your lucky if your business makes a big impact/profit even once, nit to mention twice.
I had a pair of Regulators. That exact color way you showed. I seem to remember another pair of LA Gears I owned too. But soon after I got some Jordan VI’s and never looked back.
Never could afford them when I was a kid but they were cool as hell.
Same here. Nacho and I had knocks off If I remember correctly. Thanks for watching Kurt!
strangely in Greece LA GEAR were the affordable ''brand/cool'' shoes, while Nike or Reebok cost almost twice the price
90’s LA Gear memory . White, neon green, neon pink high tops with with the same tri-colored laces with the lights . 3 individual laces you had to tie together. Ah!
You didn’t talk about their famous “street hikers” line. Those were the precursor to the Timberland fashion in Hip-Hop music during the 90’s.
Yes you’re correct. The street hikers are actually my favorite LA Gear line. Just ran out of time during the production process. Thanks for watching!
I had a pair very popular in the hood...right before Timberlands...i think this is when they reached their peak...those boots were everywhere for a quick minute
My cousin had some L.A Gear shoes, don't remember what model, but they were high tops and something like a air window like Nike's have.
There was also a local dance group here in Belgium in the 90's called B.B Jerome and the Bang Gang. They wore L.A Gears in there performances on tv. I thought they were kinda cool.
I had the LA Gear lights! The video brings back many memories. Instead of MJ they should of signed NWA members like Cube, Dre, and Eazy and marketed to the emerging LA hip hop scene which dominated the 90s....imagine!
That would’ve been perfect.. 2pac, Snoop after.. LA Gear may still be around
Problem was that you could get shot wearing those
@@burnttoaster6313 wearing la gears?
Trivia Fun Fact - LA Gear song was composed and produced by Ray Parker Jr., who hit it big with the “Ghostbusters” song. According to K&P. IYKYK
I used to had one. Back then in 1996 in Malaysia, LA Gear were categorized as a premium shoes because of it prices.
Thanks Nacho Average Finds for this great information
I don't recall that commercial but I do recall having a pair. I liked the awkward departure from the video and what sounded like dropping broom sticks.
I used to have a pair of Regulators in 7th grade in the Utah Jazz colorway. They were super heavy.
They're pretty dope even though they're a rip off of Jordans haha
I have a pair of shox r4 red and silver colorway. I love it. It outlasted many of my air max tn. I won't say its super snug and comfortable. I love the look, design and I still rock em among my other sneaker rotations esp all the Aj's. Much love to shox for lasting sooooo long and no creases. I copped em at a nike factory outlet and it's money wel spent.
LMAO I remember wearing those light up shoes as a kid 🤣
There was a sneaker war?!
In 1990 I was 11years old, and I remember getting a pair of Nike Air Jordan in orange, blue, white and yellow! Man they were VERY Jazzy! 😊 I loved them, those hideous things! I can't believe they're actually considered vintage now, AND actually still worth something!
Those Billie Jean L.A. Gears looked tough. Wish i could find a pair
Once again I dig yalls vids much love from Sa town Texas
Appreciate you Pete!
I had a pair of Regulators and my friend had the Catapults. I really liked them and especially the licence plate hang tags. Maybe a Troop video would be good I had a pair of Pro Performance in the early 90s and loved the badge on the front. Would be surprif Nike didn't take legal action against them as all thier shoes looked like Jordans. Great video and it just goes to show how many of these companies are on the edge of bankruptcy and they either make it like Nike did or create another company that makes it like Sketchers, which I have just learned were the LA Gear guys. Crazy!
Thanks Christian! The Catapults are also my favorite silhouette even though they're def just a rip off of some Jordans haha. We will do a Troop video at some point.
@@NachoAverageFinds don't know if I'm imagining this but didn’t the catapults make a clicking sound which was the mechanism working? Also the release valve on the regulators make a better and louder sound than Reebok pumps. Can you tell I've been thinking about LA Gear since I watched the video... even had a look through some old things to see if I had saved the hang tag, but no luck.
Awesome content man as always!!
Thanks Alex!!
How does this have 1k views ???! This channel is so underrated keep up with the work and videos !! 💯
That makes me feel so good. Thank you noticing the hard work and effort that we put into this. Hope all is well Steven! 🤟
I own a pair of black LA Gear with chains on the back heel..my friends used to love it so much ❤️
whut... 6:07
so la gear was involved also 🤔
😂😂😂
LA Gear was my favorite brand in the late 80s/early 90s.....I had so many of their products....Everything I could get my hands on.
6:10 (MichaelJackson) . "he will touch the children of all ages" Well that's not what we meant MIKE!!!!! LOL
Did not age well
@@NachoAverageFinds No it didn't: ruclips.net/p/PLeltLPR4SjLr67tBqTzWC9Hdnh_UURKMx
He didn't though: ruclips.net/p/PLeltLPR4SjLr67tBqTzWC9Hdnh_UURKMx
I remember being sooo jealous of classmates that got the light up LA Gears when I was in grade school in the early 90s. It seems like by the time I was in my early teens they were being sold at Walmart.
Good video as always! Until I found this channel, I only knew LA Gear for that incident where one of their shoes fell apart during a basketball game. Didn’t know they were 3rd in the industry at one point, and never heard about that deal with MJ!
Glad we could shed some light on that part of footwear history. Yeah they were front runners here in the US
I love these videos, so well done! Keep it up
LA Gear became huge because people would basically buy anything with "LA" or "California" on it
I still wear LA Looks hair gel. I think in the 80's it was when people regularly started calling Los Angeles, LA. It was very marketable...nowadays and starting in the mid 90s LA's reputation is tarnished.
At the time LA and California stood for trendy, innovative fashion, hip and sporty lifestyle. The California Dream.
I had those black light up shoes , wow 😯 I had forgotten about the brand , nostalgia right there!!
The LA Gears that I remember from the early 90s were their LA Lights that lit up with every step. They were so frickin popular in Australia 30 years ago!
I had a black pair
I had LA Gear shoes when I was young back in the 90's but my lovable dog played with it and found it damaged the next day. I cried so much😔😅
I bought some LA Gears at Ross last year. Man! The memories those shoes brought back. Wow!
Haha Ross stays winning. Thanks for watching man!
That's Great episode ; is it possible talk about "AirWalk" remember time in high-school yrs wear it as skateboard shoes , It felt so cool that time !!
Thanks Gary! Yeah definitely remember AirWalk. We definitely gotta cover more skate shoes soon
I had those LA Gear Lights and I loved them. All those hoop shoes were awesome too but after Michael Jackson and the move back to girly fitness shoes, I was done with the brand. I don't see any comeback for the the brand and I hate skechers. But great, great history video. It was such a cool time travel imo. Ducking loved it 💯🔥🔥🔥👍
What up Big Max! Thanks Brodie. I’m glad you enjoyed it man
From what I remember for just a quick second the LA Gear boots were popular in the hood...even Nike came came out with a boot that was dope too...i would say around 89-90 just before Timberland spread like wild fire
I remember wearing LA gear shoes with the lights in the bottom heel those things where 🔥🔥🔥🔥
I had both the white and the black pairs. I loved those shoes.
@@hankdatank09
Hell yeah
Memories
Love these nostalgic videos. Have you already done one on British Knights?
My memory of LA gear is when I never owned a pair.
🤣
@Fak RUclips Pro wings?
Ahhh LA gear lights... Never owned a pair, but was fascinated by them. Begged my old man for it.
Damn why wasn't I born in the 80s I'm 16 but feel like an older man like I like old school stuff and dress old school.
haha You might be young enough to see the invention of the time machine so hang tight
BK British Knights next? Love the channel mate
Those MJ shoes kinda sick tho
Low key fire
They were
Soon as I seen the LA lights I remember sat down in school assembly and as kids walked in you would notice the lights.. I had both..I really liked my LA pumps..they were so comfy.
I remember and had a pair or two of those LA light up shoes. I may be misremembering but wasn’t Ron Artest (Metta World Peace) going to do a huge deal with LA gear and was all ready to go and then the “malice at the palace” happened? I feel like he talked about that in a interview somewhere.
I don't know but that would have been epic for this video if they did sign him and then malice at the palace happened. Imagine Ron Artest punching people in light up kicks haahha
Do you have a video about British Knights or Kappa?
Maybe Cappa?
(the shoes with the 2 sets of laces and all the college colors and I want to say branding). I remember everyone having those in school
Thanks for posting this I never really heard of this brand.
Wow glad we could introduce you. This brand was huge in the 90s here in America. Thanks for watching man!
Love the content. That beautifull pair of ZXs in the back better be a hint to the new video😉.
I was born in 92 so I do remember light up shoes were the shit back in the day lol I know I had some but I do not remember if it was from this brand lol
There were Payless knock offs which are the ones I had haha
@@NachoAverageFinds I remember my mom bought me a pair from payless too. I don't think they were knockoffs because I would only get my shoes from payless and I always got LA Gears.
Thank you 🙏
It’s amazing how you came across that Michael Jackson footage
@@Chestermcfly420 Thanks for watching Jon!
Thank You 🙏 for this as a little kid of the early 90’s I remember seeing MJ wearing LA GEAR and seeing on episodes of Saved By The Bell......As ALWAYS GREAT JOB.....if I may give a suggestion for your next videos it should be on TROOP(1980’s Brand LL COOL J wore a lot), AVÍA(Similar To LA GEAR) and Le Coq Sportif(my Uncle as teenager in the 80’s here in Queens NY had a lot of there Tracksuits)
THANK YOU 🙏
Thanks Lazaro!! It's def time to start covering some of those 80s sneakers. Throw BK Knights and Pony in there as well.
@@NachoAverageFinds OF COURSE forgot about those brands. Remember how they came back in the early 2000’s had a couple pairs of Pony....Another Dope shoe are Pro-Keds
LA Lights Rocked London FrFr!!🎉🎉🌎🫡
I thought I was the coolest kid with my purple light ups back in the day 😎
haha I'm almost certain you WERE the cool kid back in the day with those
That Jordan 11 ad, when you called the 1800 number, it would be a recorded message from Spike Lee.
Man, I would sell my granma for adult size good quality well designed light up kicks.
haha It would be cool if someone did this again
Lmao facts
@@NachoAverageFinds That's it, I'm drilling holes in my NB 997's and putting red led for left foot and green for right foot (just like Kickers when I a kid).
Great video. Always on point. C
Thank you DJ Cunnie 🤟
Michael really took that ”touching all the children”-part a bit to literally.
No, he didn’t. Fool. It was a terrible speech that should have never been made.
I had a pair of the LA lights back when I was young. When the shoes had worn out we took the light thing out of the shoes, was interesting they had mercury that moved to make the light function. Thanks for posting this video, id always wondered what happened to LA Gear.
Do some more skate brands like Fallen, Emerica etc or other ones that are no longer around.
Good idea. Thanks for watching JM
Yeah be cool to do story on Fallen shoes
Fallen’s making shoes again I believe. Comeback story would be cool.
This brings back some old memories. I always thought LA Gear was kind of a shoe for special kids. In the 80's, it was Reebok and Nikes. I recall British Knights as well -- which I believe made its way into the ghetto for young gang members--referring to them as "Blood Killers." Oh the 80's.
6:13 yikes! 😬
😂😂
I was there at the beginning of LAGear as I named the company and created the biggest store on Melrose Avenue in April of 1983 all with the help and $ of Robert Greenberg, still my best friend today👍
Steve Barraza
“He will touch the children of all ages all over the world” lmao that one aged like warm milk
I had the workout shoes at 1:31 that were out in '85.