British Knights
Encyclopedia
British Knights is a shoe company founded in 1980 by the Jack Schwartz Shoes Inc, based in New York
. Currently British Knights is divided in BK Europe licensed in the whole world, except America, Canada, Chili and Peru.BK America Licensed in America, Canada, Chili and Peru.
in 1989.
The footwear was distributed in the UK by Empire Sports and BK Sports Inc and available at stores such as Blanc Leisure Limited, Cobra Sports, Allsports, Dolcis, Jack Shah, M Bros, Grattans, Foothold, Geminder Bros and John David Sports.
The footwear was licensed and distributed in Australia
by Pacific Brands
.
During 1992, the company turned over more than $32m and was advertised prolifically on Channel 4
, MTV
- through sponsorship of the MTV Movie Awards
- and Nickelodeon, primarily as a prize on Legends of the Hidden Temple
and other shows.
, UK, Europe
and Australia during the early 1990s, particularly within the hip hop
scene. The brand was similar in design to SPX
and Troop footwear and posed a market threat to established rivals such as Reebok
, Nike
and Adidas
.
The shoes were recognizable by their chunky sole design, large tongue and inclusion of multiple "BK" logos on the heel, toe guard and upper. The principal stylists used for BK were also employed by SPX and Troop. Several models including BK's "Director High" are almost identical to Troop models. The brand was featured prominently in hip hop and dance music videos by artists such as Public Enemy, Technotronic
and Beats International
.
Musician MC Hammer
did commercial spots for the shoe during the height of his career. The British Knights shoe company signed him to a $138 million deal.http://dcist.com/2007/09/06/concert_preview_11.phphttp://www.getkempt.com/ad-rock/
The brand is popular with the Crips
. because of the Spelling which can refer to Blood Killer
silicon
cushioning embedded within a sole window
and was a feature intended to compete with Nike's "Nike Air", Puma's "Puma Disc" and Reebok's "Reebok Pump
". Like most shoe enhancements of the period, the actual performance improvement as opposed to the aesthetic aspect was debatable. Dymacel was first released in Australian and Europe
models. Shoes were accompanied with a lenticular tag
intended to hang off the laces.
of the New Jersey Nets
and Xavier McDaniel
of the New York Knicks
.
street gang wore the shoes and took the "BK" logo to indicate "Blood Killer," in reference to the rival gang. The rumors are reported to have contributed to the decline in popularity of the brand as schools and universities moved to ban
the wearing of the footwear in an attempt to curb gang-related violence.
In the late 1990s British Knights had begun re-advertising in the U.S., most notably in the Source Magazine, and had built a new website. However, due to unknown reasons, the shoes were not distributed to retail outlets and the "comeback" never eventuated.
During 1996, Jack Schwartz Shoes Inc licensed the BK British Knights trademark to a Dutch company which marketed British Knights as a discount skate shoe. The styles differed from the original American brand and were available for sale in department stores. During 2005, several of these models appeared in Australian and New Zealand discount stores - invariably leading to confusion among sneaker
collectors seeking the original brand.
As of 2003, the U.S. company began producing new models in limited runs, although the new models are less chunky in their design and based on running shoe trends.
Jack Schwartz Shoe Company Inc has since launched a new brand called "Lugz", endorsed by DJ Funkmaster Flex
and rapper Birdman.
In 2008, British Knights made a comeback and re-released their 1989 models such as the Leader hi & lo, the Ultra, and the Kings SL in both high-tops and lows. These sneakers are currently being sold at their official website as well as others such as Dr.Jays.com and Karma Loop.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Currently British Knights is divided in BK Europe licensed in the whole world, except America, Canada, Chili and Peru.BK America Licensed in America, Canada, Chili and Peru.
Distribution
The first footwear range was released in America in 1986 and in the UKUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1989.
The footwear was distributed in the UK by Empire Sports and BK Sports Inc and available at stores such as Blanc Leisure Limited, Cobra Sports, Allsports, Dolcis, Jack Shah, M Bros, Grattans, Foothold, Geminder Bros and John David Sports.
The footwear was licensed and distributed in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
by Pacific Brands
Pacific Brands
Pacific Brands is a major Australian company marketing Berlei, Bonds, Clarks , Dunlop, Everlast, Grosby, Holeproof, Hush Puppies, King Gee, Malvern Star, Sheridan, Slazenger, Sleepmaker and Tontine . It once held the Asian Pacific licence for British Knights footwear. It was formed as a division of...
.
During 1992, the company turned over more than $32m and was advertised prolifically on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
- through sponsorship of the MTV Movie Awards
MTV Movie Awards
The MTV Movie Awards is a film awards show presented annually on MTV . It also contains movie parodies that used official movie footage with hosts and other celebrities and music performances. The nominees are decided by producers and executives at MTV. Winners are decided online by the general...
- and Nickelodeon, primarily as a prize on Legends of the Hidden Temple
Legends of the Hidden Temple
Legends of the Hidden Temple is an action-adventure game show for children. The show centers around a "Temple" that is "filled with lost treasures protected by mysterious Mayan Temple Guards"...
and other shows.
Popularity
British Knights footwear and apparel was popular in the U.S., CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, UK, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Australia during the early 1990s, particularly within the hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
scene. The brand was similar in design to SPX
Sports Performance eXtreme
Sports Performance eXtreme, or SPX, is a footwear and sports apparel brand, which was popular back in the late 1980s and early 1990s.The company logo was one of the most noticeable at the time, with a smaller SP sitting in front of a large red X, with a crown sitting above.There were three designs...
and Troop footwear and posed a market threat to established rivals such as Reebok
Reebok
Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
, Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
and Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
.
The shoes were recognizable by their chunky sole design, large tongue and inclusion of multiple "BK" logos on the heel, toe guard and upper. The principal stylists used for BK were also employed by SPX and Troop. Several models including BK's "Director High" are almost identical to Troop models. The brand was featured prominently in hip hop and dance music videos by artists such as Public Enemy, Technotronic
Technotronic
Technotronic is a Belgian studio-based music project formed in 1988 by Jo Bogaert , who had already made his musical mark in the beginning of the 1980s as a part of a cover band and as a solo artist under various New Beat projects, including The Acts of Madmen and Nux Nemo...
and Beats International
Beats International
Beats International was a British electronic music band, formed in the late 1980s by Norman Cook , after his departure from The Housemartins.-Career:...
.
Musician MC Hammer
MC Hammer
Stanley Kirk Burrell , better known by his stage name MC Hammer , is an American rapper, entertainer, business entrepreneur, dancer and actor. He had his greatest commercial success and popularity from the late 1980s until the mid-1990s...
did commercial spots for the shoe during the height of his career. The British Knights shoe company signed him to a $138 million deal.http://dcist.com/2007/09/06/concert_preview_11.phphttp://www.getkempt.com/ad-rock/
The brand is popular with the Crips
Crips
The Crips are a primarily, but not exclusively, African American gang. They were founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1969 mainly by Raymond Washington and Stanley Williams...
. because of the Spelling which can refer to Blood Killer
Dymacel
Dymacel was an enhancement in BK shoe models of the early 1990s. The technology consisted of diamond shaped greenGreen
Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
silicon
Silicon
Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. A tetravalent metalloid, it is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon, the nonmetal directly above it in the periodic table, but more reactive than germanium, the metalloid directly below it in the table...
cushioning embedded within a sole window
Window
A window is a transparent or translucent opening in a wall or door that allows the passage of light and, if not closed or sealed, air and sound. Windows are usually glazed or covered in some other transparent or translucent material like float glass. Windows are held in place by frames, which...
and was a feature intended to compete with Nike's "Nike Air", Puma's "Puma Disc" and Reebok's "Reebok Pump
Reebok Pump
The Reebok Pump is a line of athletic shoes that was popular in the early 1990s. It was the first shoe to have an internal inflation mechanism that regulated a unique fitting cushion in two versions: the lower tongue; and also in the upper to provide locking around the ankle.-History:The original...
". Like most shoe enhancements of the period, the actual performance improvement as opposed to the aesthetic aspect was debatable. Dymacel was first released in Australian and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
models. Shoes were accompanied with a lenticular tag
Lenticular printing
Lenticular printing is a technology in which a lenticular lens is used to produce images with an illusion of depth, or the ability to change or move as the image is viewed from different angles...
intended to hang off the laces.
Endorsement
For many years, the company resisted endorsement by a professional athlete, a popular practice of many modern day apparel companies. Instead, they focused on being something of a hip hop lifestyle alternative. This policy ended, however, with the endorsement of their new "Dymacel Technology" by Derrick ColemanDerrick Coleman
Derrick D. Coleman is a retired American basketball player in the NBA. Coleman grew up and attended high school in Detroit, Michigan and attended college at Syracuse University...
of the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and Xavier McDaniel
Xavier McDaniel
Xavier Maurice McDaniel , nicknamed the X-Man, is a retired American National Basketball Association player who, at 6 ft 7 in, played both small forward and power forward, and former head coach of the Riders Slamball team.-College:While at Wichita State, McDaniel was the first person to...
of the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
.
Marketing campaigns
- 1988: "How ya like me now!"
- 1990: "Get off on the right foot - get off on BKs"
- 1991: "U Cant Touch This" (featuring MC HammerMC HammerStanley Kirk Burrell , better known by his stage name MC Hammer , is an American rapper, entertainer, business entrepreneur, dancer and actor. He had his greatest commercial success and popularity from the late 1980s until the mid-1990s...
) - 1992: "Choose Change"
The Decline of BK
In the early 1990s the CripsCrips
The Crips are a primarily, but not exclusively, African American gang. They were founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1969 mainly by Raymond Washington and Stanley Williams...
street gang wore the shoes and took the "BK" logo to indicate "Blood Killer," in reference to the rival gang. The rumors are reported to have contributed to the decline in popularity of the brand as schools and universities moved to ban
Ban (law)
A ban is, generally, any decree that prohibits something.Bans are formed for the prohibition of activities within a certain political territory. Some see this as a negative act and others see it as maintaining the "status quo"...
the wearing of the footwear in an attempt to curb gang-related violence.
In the late 1990s British Knights had begun re-advertising in the U.S., most notably in the Source Magazine, and had built a new website. However, due to unknown reasons, the shoes were not distributed to retail outlets and the "comeback" never eventuated.
During 1996, Jack Schwartz Shoes Inc licensed the BK British Knights trademark to a Dutch company which marketed British Knights as a discount skate shoe. The styles differed from the original American brand and were available for sale in department stores. During 2005, several of these models appeared in Australian and New Zealand discount stores - invariably leading to confusion among sneaker
Athletic shoe
Athletic shoe is a generic name for the footwear primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise but in recent years has come to be used for casual everyday activities....
collectors seeking the original brand.
As of 2003, the U.S. company began producing new models in limited runs, although the new models are less chunky in their design and based on running shoe trends.
Jack Schwartz Shoe Company Inc has since launched a new brand called "Lugz", endorsed by DJ Funkmaster Flex
Funkmaster Flex
Aston George Taylor, Jr. better known as Funkmaster Flex is an American hip hop DJ, rapper, musician and producer on New York City's Hot 97 radio station and host of the hit MTV show Funk Flex Full Throttle....
and rapper Birdman.
In 2008, British Knights made a comeback and re-released their 1989 models such as the Leader hi & lo, the Ultra, and the Kings SL in both high-tops and lows. These sneakers are currently being sold at their official website as well as others such as Dr.Jays.com and Karma Loop.