Lugz

Last updated
Lugz
Company typeSubsidiary
Industry Fashion
Founded1993
Headquarters New York City, U.S.
Products Shoes
Parent Jack Schwartz Shoes, LLC.
Website http://lugz.com/

Lugz is a footwear brand owned by Jack Schwartz Shoes, LLC (JSS). The brand was established in October 1993, and became wildly famous with the African American Community because of Mike Otwell who aimed toward the urban fashion consumer. Lugz is sold in major retailers worldwide and offered in adult's and children's styles. [1]

History

With the launch of its first boot line, Lugz gained admiration from notable people in the music and entertainment worlds, by Mike Otwell leading to many unique collaborations. [1] One collaboration led Lugz to its first ever celebrity-endorsed, "Funk Master Flex" urban driving shoe. [2] Then, a collaborative line with hip-hop artist, Bryan "Baby" Williams, aka "Birdman" soon followed, [3] in addition to other endorsers including, Snoop Dogg, Orange County Choppers, and athletes from UFC and MMA. [4] [5]

The popularity of the brand began to grow as radio personality Howard Stern began promoting the brand on his show. Lugz also appeared in music videos for artists such as B.I.G. (Biggie Smalls) and Dr. Dre; Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, NBA Basketball Players, NFL Football Players, and some MLB Baseball Players supported the brand by adding them to their street style. In February 2000, Lugz launched their first interactive website where consumers could finally purchase shoes online at Lugz.com. [1]

In 2006, Orange County Choppers signed on to endorse Lugz. With its aggressive "built for the streets reputation", Lugz collaborated with Paul Teutul Jr. to design a signature Lugz shoe, "The Torx." Also that same year OCC and Lugz collaborated on a custom Lugz chopper. In 2009, the chopper was presented to the Bluff Poker Player of The Year. [6]

In the fall of 2008 Lugz entered the Mixed Martial Arts scene signing its first two MMA fighters, Lyoto Machida and Houston Alexander, as endorsers. [7] Machida captured the title of UFC Light Heavyweight Champion as he represented Lugz. With MMA becoming a fast growing sport/entertainment platform with an increasingly growing fan base, Lugz later signed Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. In 2010, UFC World Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez became the newest endorser of Lugz. [8]

In 2014, Lugz celebrated their 10th anniversary of Birdman's signature Lugz by releasing a new Birdman shoe in low and mid-top styles. [9] [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tito Ortiz</span> American mixed martial arts fighter

Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz is a retired American mixed martial artist and Submission Grappler and a former politician. Ortiz is best known for his stints with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, having held the title from April 14, 2000, to September 26, 2003. Along with fighters like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, he was one of the sport's early stars. Ortiz ultimately became the biggest pay-per-view draw of 2006 for his fights with Liddell, Forrest Griffin, and Ken Shamrock. On July 7, 2012, Ortiz became the ninth inductee into the UFC Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira</span> Brazilian mixed martial arts fighter

Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, better known as Minotauro or Big Nog, is a Brazilian retired mixed martial artist. He competed in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion. He is the twin brother of UFC fighter Antônio Rogério Nogueira. Nogueira rose to prominence in Japanese promotions Fighting Network RINGS where he won the 2000 RINGS King of Kings tournament, and later with Pride Fighting Championships, where he was the first Pride Heavyweight Champion from November 2001 to March 2003, as well as a 2004 PRIDE FC Heavyweight Grand Prix Finalist. He is one of only three men to have held championship titles in both Pride Fighting Championships and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hip-hop fashion</span> Various styles of dress that originated in the United States

Hip-hop fashion refers to the various styles of dress that originated from Urban Black America and inner city youth in cities like New York City, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. Being a major part of hip hop culture, it further developed in other cities across the United States, with each contributing different elements to the overall style that is now recognized worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air Jordan</span> American brand by Nike

Air Jordan is a line of basketball shoes produced by Nike, Inc. Related apparel and accessories are marketed under Jordan Brand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Knights</span> Shoe brand

British Knights is an American brand founded in 1983 by Jack Schwartz Shoes Inc., based in New York City. In the 1980s, British Knights distinguished themselves as an inner-city and music-driven brand, appealing to the predominantly male youth in urban communities.

Streetwear is a style of casual clothing which became global in the 1990s. It grew from New York hip hop fashion and Californian surf culture to encompass elements of sportswear, punk, skateboarding, 1980s nostalgia, and Japanese street fashion. Later, haute couture became an influence, and was in turn influenced by streetwear. Streetwear centers on comfortable clothing and accessories such as jeans, T-shirts, baseball caps, and sneakers. Brands may create exclusivity through artificial scarcity; enthusiasts follow particular brands and try to obtain limited edition releases, including via proxy purchases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fabrício Werdum</span> Brazilian mixed martial artist and Jiu-Jitsu practitioner

Fabrício Werdum is a Spanish-Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC Heavyweight Champion who competes in the Heavyweight division. He is also a 4-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, a two-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club World Heavyweight Champion and a member of the ADCC Hall of Fame. He holds black belts in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Judo, and Muay Thai. Werdum has competed in PRIDE, the UFC, Strikeforce, and Jungle Fight. At the time of his departure from the UFC, Werdum was #14 in the UFC heavyweight rankings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keds</span> American casual shoe brand

Keds is an American brand known for its canvas shoes with rubber soles. Founded in 1916 by U.S. Rubber, its original shoe design was the first mass-marketed canvas-top sneaker. The brand was sold to Stride Rite in 1979, which was acquired by Wolverine World Wide in 2012. Since February 2023, Keds has been owned and operated by Designer Brands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lyoto Machida</span> Brazilian mixed martial arts fighter and karateka (born 1978)

Lyoto Carvalho Machida is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and karateka. He formerly competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he was a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, as well as a UFC Middleweight Championship title challenger. He most recently competed in Bellator MMA in the Light Heavyweight and Middleweight divisions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adidas Superstar</span> Athletic shoe by Adidas

Adidas Superstar is a style of low-top athletic shoe which has been manufactured by the German multinational company Adidas since 1969. The design is nicknamed the "shell toe", "shell shoe", and "shell top" due to its rubber shell toe cap.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Cormier</span> American wrestler and mixed martial artist (born 1979)

Daniel Ryan Cormier is an American former professional mixed martial artist, freestyle wrestler, and current commentator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As a former UFC Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight Champion, Cormier is the second fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two weight classes simultaneously and is the first fighter to have title defenses in two divisions. He is regarded as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of his generation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cain Velasquez</span> American mixed martial arts fighter and professional wrestler

Cain Ramírez Velásquez is an American professional wrestler and retired mixed martial artist, currently appearing for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA). He is widely known for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he competed in the heavyweight division and became a two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shane Carwin</span> American mixed martial artist

Shane Bannister Carwin is an American former mixed martial artist who competed in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a former Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion. He is considered to be one of the hardest hitting athletes to ever fight in the UFC.

Iowa Central Community College is a public community college in Fort Dodge, Iowa, with satellite campuses in Webster City and Storm Lake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Bader</span> American mixed martial arts fighter

Ryan Bader is an American mixed martial artist currently signed to Bellator MMA where he is the current Bellator Heavyweight Champion in a continuous streak that is the longest of any Bellator Champion. He is also the former Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion, and the winner of the 2018 Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix Tournament. At Bellator 214, Bader became the first fighter in Bellator history to become champion in two weight divisions simultaneously. Prior to signing with Bellator, Bader competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in the Light Heavyweight division and he was a cast member and winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Davis (fighter)</span> American mixed martial artist (born 1984)

Phil Kwabina Davis is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes as a Light Heavyweight for Bellator MMA, where he is the former Bellator Light Heavyweight World Champion. Prior to signing with Bellator, Davis competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he achieved success as a top 5 Light Heavyweight contender and held a UFC record of 9–3 (1). Davis first gained athletic notoriety in college as a wrestler for Penn State University, where he became an NCAA Division I champion in 2008.

Chopper is a hip hop music subgenre that originated in the Midwestern United States and features fast-paced rhyming or rapping. Those that rap in the style are known as choppers, and rapping in the style is sometimes referred to as chopping. The style is one of the major forms of Midwest hip hop, though by the early 2000s, it had spread to other parts of the United States including California and New York City, and it has spread around the world since.

The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America is an installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)-produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. It is the seventh series to be produced primarily for markets outside the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francis Ngannou</span> Cameroonian mixed martial artist and boxer (born 1986)

Francis Zavier Ngannou is a Cameroonian and French professional mixed martial artist and professional boxer who currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Professional Fighters League (PFL), where he is the inaugural PFL Super Fights Heavyweight Champion. He previously competed in the heavyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) from 2015 to 2022, where he was the reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion at the time of his departure from the promotion. Known for his punching power, Ngannou was widely viewed as the most destructive pure puncher in the UFC's heavyweight division; he ended seven of his fourteen UFC fights by knockout before the two-minute mark in the first round. He is considered the lineal heavyweight champion in mixed martial arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Javier Mendez (mixed martial arts trainer)</span> American mixed martial arts coach

Javier Mendez is a Mexican-American mixed martial arts (MMA) coach and founder of the MMA gym American Kickboxing Academy (AKA). He’s a former 2 time ISKA kickboxing world champion with a kickboxing record of 23-2. He is best known for training multiple MMA world champions most famously Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, Daniel Cormier, and Cain Velasquez.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Teri Agins Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal (6 June 2003). "Jack Schwartz's 'Driving Shoe' Proves a Hit in Hip-Hop Circles". WSJ.
  2. "Out to Launch". mediapost.com.
  3. "Rapper Sneaker Endorsements". BET.com. 14 March 2013.
  4. Brian Betschart. "Lugz Brings Back the Birdman for 10th Anniversary". SneakerFiles.
  5. "SOHH.com - Birdman's Lugz Lifestyle Collection - "This Low & Mid-Top Collection Is Just For You" - For The Best In Hip-Hop News - SOHH.com". For The Best In Hip-Hop News - SOHH.com. 11 June 2015.
  6. "BLUFF Player of the Year Will Ride in Style with LUGZ Chopper". BLUFF.com. Archived from the original on 2015-06-13. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  7. "Machida and Alexander in Mainstream Advert". mmapayout.com.
  8. Palmquist, Chris (August 16, 2010). "Cain Velasquez featured in Lugz commercial". MMA Underground. The Arena Group. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  9. "Controversy Or Not, Birdman Next Move Is Amazing". The Mos Dopest News. 23 December 2014.
  10. Kyle Rooney (7 October 2014). "Birdman Announces His New Lugz Collection Will Release This Fall". HotNewHipHop.