Sport shoes in Spain

Sport shoes in Spain
Friday, May 9, 2014 @ 1:34 AM

The '80s were, globally, the time of explosion of sneakers, also called "beach shoes" or "tennis", in certain latitudes. At least in Spain. Within a few years the fashion 'jogging' and aerobics, the World Cup of Spain 82 and the rise of basketball, with the Epi and Corbalan, created a market of millions of users by which a fierce battle was fought, recurring in school playgrounds.

Tha sneakers weared by the spanish Basketball star, Juan Antonio San Epifanio (known as: "Epi")

The sneakers weared by Juan Antonio Corbalán

Many players of Basketball weared these sneaker by ADIDAS, in Europe

Came new foreign brands. The already installed redoubled their efforts to gain a piece of the pie. And local champions --Paredes, Kelme, Tortola ... -- had to invent ways to compete with international giants, using their knowledge of the terrain: the courtyards of schools. They are not all they were ... but they are a representative sample to remember those years when we asked mom pocket to scratch for a AIR JORDAN catch us.

A model by PAREDES

Paredes for Running

A model of KELME KELME for Tennis

KELME for Basketball

Sneakers by TORTOLA

The first sneakers by Michael Jordan

Another model of Air Jordan

With these sneakers Jordan made a famous Mate in 1987. They were expensive sneakers

Another model of Air Jordan

Cheap sneakers "Nike-Dunk-Air Jordan"

One of the Spanish brands was “J´HAYBER” and the most popular model was “Olimpo”. These sneakers were wore by anyone, but specially by heavy people, who went to concerts of heavy music, like the group Obus´ music.They were so heavy sneakers and therefore, some people thought that they were not good for sports.

Sneakers J´HAYBER, 1986

Another Spanish brand was: “YUMAS” and the most popular model was “Galaxia”. These wore everybody, in Spain. They were famous in the early 80s. But they started to be not such popular, because some foreign brands came to Spain.

Sneakers YUMAS

Another Spanish popular brand was “PAREDES” and the most popular model was “Estrella blanca” (White Star). This brand was so popular in Spain. They got that the fans of Spiderman chosed them. They were thought specially for children. They were strong sneakers.

PAREDES for young women PAREDES for girls

PAREDES model "Terra"

Different colours of PAREDES PAREDES with velcro

A long time they liked the girls for sponsoring Leif Garret, a known idol of the late '70s / early '80s. Then they made the mistake of sponsoring our athletes at the Olympics in Moscow the 8th, an edition in which only we get 5 medals.

Another very famous Spanish brand was “KELME” and the most popular model was "Villacampa". These shoes wore by the fans of the ACB and followers of cycling.

Sneakers KELME "Vilacampa"

A prestigious and affordable brand, the Kelme highlighted thanks to the sponsorship of all types of Spanish sportsmen, athletes and team sports players, such as the famous Jordi Villacampa. They were factories in Elche, which were very popular on the Mediterranean coast. The "Kelme Team" Cycling made them popular in schoolyards where the plates were played.

Another Spanish brand was “JOHN SMITH”. The most prominent was the model 412's, used by Basketball players like Tkachenko and Sabonis; but they were also by students of 1 º and 2 º of BUP (Unified College Multipurpose).

Sneakers "John Smith" for Basketball

Canvas Sneakers! Converse sold them out, but was never seen around here thought ideal for copy, it was also particularly popular, having that point "smart but casual". That is right: they were much easier to mess ... and fill with pen graffiti threats of 'Eding'. The great rival of Kelme to attracting fans of the ACB. By the way ... the brand name betrays its native origin: sounds foreign, but is the equivalent called "José Pérez".

Another Spanish shoe brand was “TORTOLA”. These sneakers were used by some children at School. If John Smith scored a goal with its sound foreign branding, Tortola owners lost their honesty: What child in their right mind would wear plimsolls a little Spanish so glamorous and so ... name?. No wonder the tagline "Take some Tortola" was synonymous with being the class nerd.

Sneakers "Tortola"

Another Spanish and german brand was “PUMA”. Its model was featured “Sparco”. And these sneakers were used above all by football stars.

Sneakers PUMA

In the 80s, a very good Spanish player of Basketball, Fernando Martín, weared the sneakers “Nike-air-force 2”, when he was playing in Portland (USA). Here, in Spain, those sneakers were so famous.

Sneakers weared by Fernando Martín

As the accompanying Oca with Parcheesi board, PUMA was developed and exploited in parallel by the brother of the founder of ADIDAS, in an attempt to double profits in separate runs. For many people, it came to be the "Lacoste" running shoes and was one of the best predicament enjoyed between the feet of the football stars, whose goals were echoed by Hector del Mar in "the game of the working day".

Today, Spaniards continue wearing sneakers –above all of foreign brands— for tennis: