LA Gear is an American footwear and clothing company founded in 1983 by Robert Greenberg in Los Angeles, California. Initially starting as a women’s fashion footwear brand, the company quickly expanded into athletic shoes and became a major player in the sneaker market during the late 1980s and early 1990s. LA Gear gained significant popularity through celebrity endorsements, including partnerships with Michael Jackson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Wayne Gretzky. The brand became known for its distinctive designs, particularly its light-up sneakers called “LA Lights,” which were introduced in 1992 and featured LED lights in the heel that would flash with each step. At its peak in the early 1990s, LA Gear was the third-largest athletic shoe manufacturer in the United States, behind Nike and Reebok. However, the company faced financial difficulties in the mid-1990s and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1998. ACI International acquired the LA Gear brand in 1999 and has since maintained it as a lifestyle footwear brand. While no longer commanding the market presence it once had, LA Gear continues to operate, focusing primarily on casual footwear and retro-inspired designs that capitalize on 1980s and 1990s nostalgia.