LA Gear began in 1983 and dominated the shoe market during the 1980’s and early 1990’s. When the first pair of shoes was introduced with an aggressive marketing approach targeting young women, sales of LA Gear soared.

The company went public in 1986. As the product line expanded, a number of designs became iconic, reflecting the popular style of Los Angeles during that time - colorful, flashy, and most importantly, fun. LA Gear continued on a path of rapid growth with company sales skyrocketing to over $800 million in just eight years, the third biggest athletic brand behind only Reebok® and Nike®.

During the late 90’s and early 2000’s the brand went through a series of transitions, and ACI International, recognizing the strong brand equity and potential, purchased LA Gear. Since then, ACI has invested heavily in both understanding the market and consumer, and of course in product design and development. The core brand values have been refocused and LA Gear is now re-imagined for 2022 and beyond.