what happened to eta's?

[Fellhound]

The Gladiator certainly looks almost identical to the ETA. Not sure what the Walsh connection is but the ETA Sports logo is the same as the old ETA one!

I think the initials were for the surnames of three partners who were responsible for setting up the company. I believe the 'E' was for Alan Evans and the 'A' was for Keith Anderson (both Ambleside members?). Don't remember who the 'T' was.

I found them a comfy shoe - did the Manx MM in them - but they lacked the ultimate grip of a Walsh PB and didn't last long on rocky terrain

[dominion]

Alan Evans, Peter Townsend and Keith Anderson

[wheezing donkey]

As ever, I stand to be corrected; but I recollect hearing / reading that Tony Hulme / Running Bear had acquired the Edmundson "Fell Dancer" concern and that the MB range were based on this design. Edmundson were based around Rossendale, which had always had a shoe and slipper manufacturing base. About 7 years ago, I took some boots to be re-soled at Lancashire Sports Repairs ( I think that's the correct title ) in Burnley and they were busy producing a batch of Fell Dancers.
Not to mention that 20 years ago Ron Hill produced / sold a range of 'own brand' running shoes, including fell running shoes.
This fell shoe business? It's like the Nuffield Corporation / BMC / British Leyland / Austin-Rover / Pheonix! What next?
As for ETA, my daughter is now 27 and still has / occasionally uses the ETA's that I bought her when she was 14 or 15 and a member of Lancaster Girl's Grammar School X Country Team; on seeing them, several of the other girls in the team bought ETA's. She used them when we accompanied Trundler on parts of his Scottish Old County Tops outing in 2002.

[Fellhound]

Not sure about the history of the Felldancer shoes but the current MB range seems to consist of some shoes based on the Felldancer plus the Gladiator, which is definitely based on the ETA.

Even though they all have failings, the Walshes and the MD shoes have the slim profile and snug fit that characterises a true fell shoe to me. Inov8 have yet to produce a shoe in this category, despite their huge range of trail and mountain racing shoes.

[Phil Winskill]

Wheezing Donkey is right about Tony buying the Fell Dancer setup. Apparently he came across the original moulds for the ETA racers in the Fell Dancer office\stores (rumour has that a certain shop owner in Kendal had been after the ETA moulds for years...).

Gladiators are ace; uppers are well made and comfy (no daft heel cup seam like PB's). Grip is as good as PB's. The compound is a little harder so last longer, but on the flipside don't grip on wet surfaces as good as PB's. Sales pitch over.

[Swoop]

Alan Evans, Peter Townsend and Keith Anderson

Who?

[Fellhound]

Gladiators are ace; uppers are well made and comfy (no daft heel cup seam like PB's).

You are right about that heel cup seam Phil. I've had trouble with it in a few pairs of Walshes lately, yet I'd never noticed it before in 20+ years of wearing PBs.

I don't think the ETA was as good as the Walsh in the grip department but it was definitely a more comfy shoe. I might try a pair of Gladiators...

[daz198]

i know tony well from my sportsfeet days , They were the days when i used to set up the stall in all weathers and while you lot were on top of the hills i was holding on to the canopy for dear life and trying to keep all the stock dry.
Eta's were the new kid on the block then but my best seller was the ron hill peaks for £30 were a bargain and seemed to last forever oh the good old days now im sat in my office processing orders and the only people i see face to face are posties and couriers, You never know the days of getting up at 3am in the morning to pack the van up and drive through the hills in the snow and rain may once return !!!

[daz198]

found my pair of ron hill peaks the other day they must be nearly 20 years old the memories came flooding back !!!!!