British Knights - The Decline of BK

The Decline of BK

In the early 1990s the Crips 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 at 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.