These brands that made the history of inline skating: Hypno

A pioneering company on the subject of removable frames

Some history

The brand Hypno had its birth in the 1990s in Italy. Hypno produced like many other brands in Montebelluna (Italy). The brand has been known in France since 1997. Hypno Skates had also been distributed in the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and Austria.

Unique selling point of the brand was the concept of the removable frame. Hypno was one of the pioneers of the use of intermodality in transportation.

In 1997, three brands competed for market share with two different concepts:

• Rossignol and Hypno bet on a concept of removable frames
• Mojo opted for a slip-on shoe with his own shoe, as did Xsjado a few years later.

Hypno became well known in 1997 in France with Alessandro Silva at the top. Some years later the Italian brand joined forces with the Rossignol ski brand to exchange technological skills and commercial support. Rossignol took advantage of the interconnection system of the transalpine company and in return Hypno benefited from the distribution of the leading ski brand through Dynastar, Lange and Look in Canada and the US.

In 1998 Hypno sold its licenses to Rossignol. One of the first of these
Rossignol models is Junction 3. We also interviewed David Lenoir about the SIS Rossignol.

At the same time, in September 1998, at the ISPO in Munich, Hypno expanded its offer to meet the expectations of skaters in terms of optics.

Later Rossignol developed its own product line before they improved the concept of the removable frame.

The Hypno concept: a removable frame on a rigid shoe with an urban look

The mechanism is based on a lever, which is attached to the back of a rigid shoe. This locks the shoe with the frame.
The aim of the brand Hypno was to create skates for everyday use. An ingenious mechanical system allows the frame to be fixed to the shoe. The shoe is relatively stiff and has an urban look. The disadvantage of the stiffness is that you cannot walk so easily (stiff sole = poor foot roll).

The brand Hypno offered two different types of frames:

First one: aluminum 6005: Through the use of extrusion technology, it is very torsion-resistant and at the same time light and stiff.

Second one: nylon and fiberglass composite: The elasticity of nylon has been combined with the torsional strength of glass fibers. This enables more flexibility, comfort and tolerance of technical errors.

The simple locking system is based on a lever that prevents accidental opening and facilitates locking and unlocking.

Stronghold Italy

Like most brands at that time, all Hypno skates were produced in Treviso, Italy (not far from Venice). This place is a stronghold of inline skating. Some companies like Rollerblade are still there. The factories were mainly in China. The Chinese manufacturer was the same one who produced the racing models of Fila.

In 2001, the brand was highly successful in urban areas, offering a full line of footwear with composite or aluminum frames.

In 2005, Hypno developed a concept with a « walk-model »: The tip of the shoe is thereby clamped on the front, while the center is held by a lateral system.
The back of the foot also has a simple attachment system.

Hypno in France

In France, the brand Hypno was expelled from Templar, which also distributes Fila. Currently, there are almost no Hypno skates left in the market, except second-hand. Some online shops in Eastern Europe continue to sell leftover storage.

Some models sorted by years

1997: Howl | Endorphin 2
1998: Sundancer (cardio area) | Hangtime (Pathmaker area)
2001: Vario
2004: Wave, Walky, Sunrise, Stealth
2011: Avenue

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