Once he realized that it was the “uppers” that held the most promise, Greenberg began focusing on shoes instead of skates, which led to the birth of the LA Gear brand in 1983.

[2] Although its original lines were typically featured in high-end department stores, LA Gear shoes became easier to find in discount retailers.

As its stock sunk from $50 to $10 a share, Robert Greenberg stepped down as CEO; within the year he founded the shoe company Skechers, which he still manages as of 2022.

Within a year the company began restricting access to the shoes, returning to higher-end department stores to gain a more upscale clientele.

However, in doing so the company was so desperate to sell the remaining inventory that LA Gear shoes began showing up at flea markets, swap meets, and supermarkets.

In 1994, LA Gear abandoned its men's performance footwear line and began marketing the lifestyle brands for women and children more aggressively.

In 2008, LA Gear rereleased its Unstoppable retro range, which saw sneaker lines such as the KAJ and Starshooter High available in a variety of new colors.

[6] LA Gear also joined the rocker bottom shoe craze that year by releasing the Walk N Tone sneaker line for women.

[12] San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana signed an endorsement deal with LA Gear in 1990 after working with Adidas and later Mizuno for most of his career and quickly became the company's feature athlete.

Light technology for kids has been one of the most successful launches in the athletic shoe industry with over 100 million pairs sold in all distribution channels.

The shoes were also used as survival gear to locate stranded individuals and children during blizzards, leading to increased demand prior to storms.