MyFace.com Gives Props to LA Lights for William Shatner @ The Oscars

Sons of Lights Inventor Talk Tech in SLAM Mag 4-10

Aspiring Minimalist 4-10 Recalls His Sis Aspiring to LA Lights

Yak Attack Kicks Off 2010 with LA Lights

Sneaker Freaker Best of the Best of 09!

News from November-December, 2009: The LA Gear Lights are finally back, and it’s no surprise that people are talkin:

Thrillist Says Wear LA Gear Lights

Topix of the Day: LA Gear Lights

Sweater Junkie’s Got a Jones for the Lights

Fresh Prince and LA Lights

Get Schooled by the Teacher and Get LA Gear Lights

How Tweet it is…all LA Gear Lights

International Business Time Talks LA Lights

Just Envee Just Happy to See Lights

Nadine Shows LA Lights Shopping Spree

9 Grand Notes the Return of the Lights

Hoop China Covers LA Gear Lights

The Worlds Best Ever Rocks Lights Own the Night Poster

Luxury4Play Has the Lights On

Dear Whoever Sends Letter to Lights

Air 23 Takes a Break from Nike to Tout LA Lights

MISS Gives Lights Some Extra Pizzazz

UpTempoAir Forum Likes Lights for the Holidays

Whats Fresh? LA Gear Lights

Uptowns Says Wtf Here Come the Lights

RealTalkNYC Talks LA Gear Lights

Street Level Covers Lights Early Release

Sneaker Obsession Spotting LA Gear Lights

Sole Collector Suggests Black Friday Presale for Lights

Sneaker Files Open Their Books for LA Lights

The Vine Says Light Me Up

Kicks on Fire with LA Lights

Sneaker Society Shows LA Gear is Lighting Up the International Community

Some of the latest news:

September 16, 2009 – LA Gear gets the Delux treatment:

Delux Singles Out Sportie LA for LA Gear

August 25, 2009 – Cal’s Patrick Christopher shares his love of the Lights, but he wants em all to himself!

Cal Guard Pat Christopher Talks LA Gear Lights on SI.com

August 19, 2009 – More love for the Stardust and the updated Unstoppable line – the hits just keep on comin’!

LA Gear Relaunch-Stardust-on Synamatic

August 18, 2009 – LA Gear Stardust Sighting on SyNaMATIQ Apparel Blog:

LA Gear Makes a Relaunch After the 90s

August 1, 2009 – Here’s a little update on the buzz around the Lights:

LA Gear Lights Preview on The Vine

LA Gear Lights Preview on Sneaker Freaker

When ACI and Sportie LA teamed up in December 08 to relaunch the Unstoppable line from 1989-90, we knew there’d be excitement. We were excited about it, that’s why we created LaGearNews.

But the response has been so cool that we wanted to share some of it with you. From an early article on NiceKicks.com to FN checking in with Sportie LA’s Isack Fadlon about his store’s opening in San Diego the other day, LA Gear is on the minds and lips of people in the know, and from what we’re seeing the LA Lights are gonna be the point where things just go nuts.

Anyway, you can check out all the chatter here, but in the meantime, we’ll do our best to keep you up to date on the new Unstoppable line, the Lights, and a certain line that people really want LA Gear to bring back but which we don’t have any further info on yet!

Peace.

As in years past, 2010′s GRAMMY talent will include the industry’s top artists spanning the genre spectrum. Beyoncé, the Black Eyed Peas, Dave Matthews Band, Lady Antebellum, Lady Gaga, Green Day, P!nk, Maxwell, Taylor Swift and the Zac Brown Band are all confirmed to perform.
These celebs and more will have access to the GRAMMY gift lounge, and there will be an in-Lounge “giving station” which will allow the celebrities to autograph and donate one of their favorite new gifts to the MusiCares® Foundation, which provides a safety net of critical assistance for members of the music community in times of need.

“The GRAMMYs are an iconic part of pop culture and the fabric of Los Angeles,” said LA Gear Director of Specialty Product Lance Jackson. “This event is the perfect fit for us, and the timing couldn’t be better, with the release of our new light up sneakers.”

The LA Lights went on sale December 12, 2009, at all Sportie LA stores in Los Angeles and San Diego, and online at sneaker website SportieLA.com/lagear.
The GRAMMY gift lounge will be open January, 28th-30th, 2010. The 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on Sunday, January 31, 2010, at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast live on CBS at 8p.m. (ET/PT).

About LA Gear Lights and LA Gear Originals

On the heels of their successful launch of LA Gear Originals – which featured updated styles from the Unstoppable line, ’89-’90 – LA Gear brand-owner ACI and top Los Angeles indie sneaker store chain Sportie LA released a new line of LA Gear Lights. Reviving and updating its legendary LA Tech light ups from the early 90s, LA Gear is presenting limited quantities of the new sneakers. Mens Lights come in White/Silver, Green/Olive, Black/Purple, and Blue. Womens Lights come in two colors, Red and Gold.

About The Recording Academy

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, join the organization’s social networks as a Twitter follower at www.twitter.com/thegrammys, a Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/thegrammys and a YouTube channel subscriber at www.youtube.com/thegrammys.

The first light up shoes were released with LA Gear’s LA Tech line in 1992. The revolutionary

sneakers came with red step-activated LED lights in the heels. Imitators followed, but none matched the success of LA Lights.

“The design on these LA Lights shoes is authentic and true to what it was in 1992,” said LA Gear Director of Specialty Product Lance Jackson. “As with the Unstoppable line, our goal is to honor the history of the brand. We updated colors and materials, while remaining true to these iconic styles.” 

The new Lights will hit the market with fewer than one thousand pairs made per SKU. “We have plans for much wider production and distribution,” Jackson assured fans, “but we decided to do a very limited rollout to make this initial launch a little more special.” 

In creating this new line of light ups, LA Gear drew upon a fresh and diverse mix of materials, including: nubuck, patent leather, leathers with metallic finishes, mesh, and some metallic-looking mesh.

Of the technology utilized in the new LA Lights, Jackson said, “The current lights are positioned in the exact same part of the shoe as the original, but these lights have a much longer battery life – about 7 years if worn daily - and are brighter than the lights used in 1992.” Additionally, where only red lights were used in the earlier versions, colors this time around include blue, yellow, and white, and pink. Jackson pointed to the success of this year’s LA Gear Originals Unstoppable line as a major factor in the relaunch of the Lights. ”We wanted to go chronologically as we expanded the LA Gear Originals line, and consumer enthusiasm has really inspired us to move forward,” he said. Sportie LA co-owner Isack Fadlon concurred. “We get calls daily for the LA Lights,” he said, “and if you follow the chatter on the Web, it’s clear the interest level is extremely high.”

While LA Gear traditionally enjoyed a strong women’s following, sales of the LA Gear

Originals line suggest that both men and women are gravitating towards the styles. “The KAJs, Fire High, and Star Shooter Hi have all sold remarkably well,” said Fadlon, who expects both men and women to respond equally well to the Lights. “We’ve struck the perfect balance between fun and wearability,” he explained. ”Not everyone who buys a unique shoe is a collector. 90% of the people who buy the Lights will want to wear them a lot.”

Ultimately, said Jackson, the light up shoes are synonymous with the brand. ”Many people, when they think of LA Gear back in the day, they think of

LA Lights,” he concluded. ”Some want a chance to
wear these iconic sneakers again, and for others it’s a chance to experience something new. It’s the best of both worlds.”

Following the initial release at Sportie LA’s stores in Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks, and San Diego, CA, the LA Gear Lights will roll out to EVR in Cincinnati, OH; The Tannery in Cambridge, MA; Shoe Biz in San Francisco, CA; Little’s in Pittsburgh, PA; and Sports Zone, Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia, among others.

BUY LA Lights

Black Friday sales are nothing new – it’s a huge shopping day so retailers offer deals to attract customers. Sportie LA’s Black Friday Pre-Sale, offering customers an early shot at some LA Gear Lights, is something else altogether. This is a Black Friday sale created by popular demand.

On this blog, across the web, and – from what the sales staff at Sportie LA tells us - on phone lines at all of their stores – fans of the Lights have been chomping at the bit for a chance to grab the shoes. This Friday, they’ll have their chance.

Beginning at 11:59pm, on Thursday night November 26, the new LA Gear Lights will be available exclusively online at www.SportieLA.com/lagear.

Reviving and updating its legendary LA Tech light ups from the early 90s, LA Gear is presenting limited quantities of the new sneakers. Mens Lights come in White/Silver, Green/ Light Green, Black/Purple, and Navy Blue. Womens Lights come in Red and Gold.

The LA Lights officially go on sale December 12, 2009. 

Pinball machines filled the room with them and disco balls exploited them. Skyscrapers and light houses use them for protection. Our shoes house them in the heel cup. Well, they used to, until now … actually next month. The infamous light up sneaker, the original phenomenon, is back. You are now destined to dance, once again, to the beat of both sound and light. Whether your preference is red, white or blue, you’ll have a choice come this December, as LA Gear re-launches the LA Gear Lights at Sportie LA. Nostalgia aside, these kicks are fresh for many reasons.

The styling, taken from the original line of twenty years ago, has been updated with new materials and colors. Yes, retro, yet modern. Inspired by the past, yet speaking to today’s fashion. A confluence of what was once innocent and simple with what is now influential and relevant. In essence, the balance required for a perfect fit.

This decade has seen many re-issues in the sneaker game; few,

however, may claim the reintroduction of a design that captured the imagination of so many. Clear out the closet, make some room, as the lights are destined to once again, or for the first time for those too young, be in your wardrobe.

You’ve seen glimpses of the new light up shoes from LA Tech, so you may have an idea of what you’re in for. But the fact is that LA Gear has really outdone itself in bringing back these beloved sneakers.

LA Gear enlisted photographer Daniel Giberson to shoot the shoes, and he was kind enough to give us a few to show here.

We also managed to grab a few snaps of Daniel in action.

The shoot was originally set to take place in-store at Sportie LA’s flagship location on Melrose Avenue, but when the crowd proved a little distracting (Fairfax High is right across the street, yo, what did you expect??), Sportie opened up one of its warehouses to the crew.

I’m not sure that shooting sneaker pics is most people’s idea of a fun time, but these are not just any sneakers. Like the updated – and very popular – Unstoppable line, the new LA Gear Lights have a really unusual blend of retro cool and contemporary style.

The mens light ups come in Green or Olive/Yellow, Black, Navy, and White/Silver. The womens light ups will be available in Gold, Silver, and Red.

The LA Lights go on sale mid-December, at a select group of retailers, and online at www.SportieLa.com.

Now comes the official, sanctioned LA Lights party video:

Our cameras rolled, as LA Gear Director of Specialty Product Lance Jackson hosted a VIP mixer at the Las Vegas Hilton on August 1, with the full spectrum of Lights for men and women on display.

Since we’ve been getting emails and comments from fans all over the world asking when the Lights are coming out (November or December of ’09, as of this writing), we decided to give the video an international theme, so our friends across the globe could enjoy this very special preview. We hope you like it! 

SHOP LA GEAR! 

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This Saturday evening, the new LA Gear Lights will be on display in Las Vegas, at an intimate, invite-only mixer thrown by the brand LA Gear and top indie retailer Sportie LA.

If you’re in Vegas this weekend, and you’re one of the first fifteen people to reply to the invite above, you and a friend will receive a ticket to the party!

IF: In the past I believe it was the kids. But now, as we re-introduce the lights, I think we’ll see a lot of “big kids” getting very excited about the shoes they used to rock when they were young.

IF: Yes, indeed.

LAGN: Given the advances in shoe technology since the Lights were originally launched, do
you guys have any new applications in the works?

IF: Yes, we are going to, of course, re-introduce the original look of the lights, but we also have some surprises.

IF: Of course, I do. How could I not?