8 shoe brands from the 90s that you might remember. If you grew up in the 90s, these shoes might look familiar.

Number one, Troop. Troop launched in 1985 in the Bronx, New York, building its identity around hip hop fashion and sneakers. Its early footwear included the Ice Lamb, Mercedes, and Pro Edition.

The brand expanded beyond New York, but its visibility declined in the United States during the early 1990s while production continued in Europe. In 2015, Troop marked its 30th anniversary with a limited relaunch.

Number two, Travel Fox. Travel Fox developed an international footwear business with Italian roots and overseas reach. Its history includes leather footwear, international partnerships, and expansion into overseas markets.

A trademark filing from January 1996 documents the Travel Fox footwear mark. The brand's history is more complicated than a simple disappearance.

Number three, Ewing Athletics. In 1989, basketball star Patrick Ewing launched his own footwear company, Ewing Athletics. Its 33 HI became a signature design associated with his number 33 and New York basketball culture.

The company released multiple models during the 1990s, with the Empire marking the end of its original run in 1996. Ewing Athletics returned in 2012, bringing the brand back to sneaker culture.

Number four, XJ 900. XJ 900 was another Payless-associated shoe name that appeared in the 1992 legal dispute with Reebok. Trademark records identify it as a name used for athletic footwear.

Reebok challenged several Payless shoe designs, including XJ 900, over intellectual property issues. The case produced further proceedings on appeal, but the available evidence does not establish that the dispute caused XJ 900 to disappear from shops.

Number five, Ellesse. Ellesse was founded in Perugia, Italy, in 1959 by Leonardo Servadio. The company became known for sportswear, particularly skiing and tennis apparel, and built connections with prominent athletes.

In the early 1990s its corporate structure changed when Ellesse came under Britain's Pentland Group. The brand continued under new ownership, so its history is one of evolution rather than disappearance.

Number six, Saucony. Saucony's history stretches back to 1898, long before the 1990s sneaker boom. During the early 1990s it introduced running shoes, including the Shadow 6000 and Grid SD in 1991, followed by the Grid 8000 in 1993 and Grid 9000 in 1994.

The Grid SD introduced Saucony's grid cushioning system. Saucony continued developing running shoes and bringing back classic designs.

Number seven, Pro Wings. Pro Wings was associated with Payless Shoe Source, a retailer known for affordable footwear.

In 1992, Payless became involved in a legal dispute with Reebok over several shoe designs, including Pro Wings models. The case concerned intellectual property allegations involving trademarks, trade dress, and design patents. The original court denied Reebok's request for a preliminary injunction, but an appeals court later vacated that ruling and sent the case back for further proceedings.

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Number eight, British Knights. British Knights launched in 1983 as a casual shoe brand out of New York (Jack Schwartz Shoes). Its first sneaker collection came in 1985 and sales exploded. It treated sneakers as fashion first, dropping new collections three to four times a year, and became popular with 15- to 24-year-old males in urban communities. Its mantra was "the shoe ain't nothin' without the BK button," for the diamond-shaped BK logo plate on every shoe.

It was one of the first brands to use hip hop artists as endorsers, putting Kool Moe Dee on TV, and the shoes showed up in videos by Public Enemy, Technotronic, and Beats International. Its biggest push came in 1990, signing MC Hammer to a full endorsement deal — tour sponsorship, in-store events and contests, and an anti-drug TV spot — which pushed the brand into the mainstream. In 1991 it introduced Dymacel, diamond-shaped green silicone cushioning set in a sole window. Athlete endorsers included Dominique Wilkins, Derrick Coleman, and Xavier McDaniel.

In the early 1990s the brand faded, with reports tying the "BK" logo to gang associations and school bans, plus heavier competition from Nike and Adidas; the trademarks were sold to a European firm in 1998. It relaunched in February 2014 with designer Darren Romanelli as creative director and Scooter Braun involved, under the slogan "Artists are the new athletes."