KELME traces its roots to 1960, while its Chinese corporate history identifies 1977 as the year the KELME brand and its distinctive claw logo were formally established. Different sources may cite 1960, 1963 or 1977 when discussing the brand’s founding, reflecting different milestones in the company’s early development.4

KELME’s story begins in Elche (Elx), Alicante, a city in southeastern Spain renowned for its footwear industry. The Quiles family began manufacturing footwear in 1960, and from these origins the business gradually shifted towards sporting products. Corporate records identify the Quiles brothers as the founders and describe Elche as the birthplace of the brand.3

The distinction between the company’s early history and the later KELME brand is significant:

• 1960: Footwear business roots in Elche.
• 1970s: The company increasingly developed a sports identity.
• 1977: The KELME brand and logo were formally established.
• Late 1970s onwards: KELME began expanding internationally.
• 1980s: Football became an increasingly important part of the brand.
• 1990s: KELME achieved greater visibility through elite football, tennis, athletics and cycling.4

One of KELME’s most recognisable elements is its paw or claw logo. The brand states that the design was inspired by the claw of a lynx or bear-like animal, representing an attitude of moving forward, climbing and leaving a trace behind. This imagery connects directly with the brand’s slogan, “Leave Your Mark”, conveying the idea that athletes should not merely participate but make a lasting impression through their performance and attitude.5

During the 1970s and 1980s, KELME transitioned from being primarily a footwear manufacturer to a dedicated sports brand. Historical materials indicate that the company developed its first professional football shoe in 1982, after which it began supplying footwear to professional players and became increasingly associated with football.6

Notable footballers associated with the brand during this period include Míchel González, Gaizka Mendieta, Andoni Zubizarreta and Iván Zamorano. These partnerships helped establish KELME as a genuine performance-sports brand rather than solely a fashion sneaker company.7

Although football is KELME’s strongest modern identity, cycling was historically extremely important to the brand. KELME operated and sponsored a professional cycling team that became one of the notable Spanish teams of its era, competing at the highest level and providing substantial visibility across Europe.8

The brand also had associations with major cycling events, including the Tour de France. This period helped KELME build an image centred on endurance, professional sport, technical clothing and athletic performance within Spanish sporting culture. This heritage is sometimes overlooked because modern consumers associate the brand more strongly with football and futsal.

The 1990s were arguably the most important period for KELME’s international sporting profile.

Barcelona 1992 Olympics

KELME served as the official technical sponsor of the Spanish Olympic Team at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games. As the host nation, Spain generated massive domestic and international attention, making this an enormous marketing opportunity for the brand.9

Tennis

The brand also sponsored Spanish tennis star Conchita Martínez. In 1994, Martínez won Wimbledon, becoming the first Spanish woman to claim the singles title, with KELME as her sponsor during this period.

Athletics and basketball

KELME supported elite athletes including Fermín Cacho and Said Aouita in athletics. In basketball, the brand developed relationships with prominent Spanish players such as Jordi Villacampa, demonstrating a sporting portfolio that extended well beyond football.10

One of KELME’s most famous sponsorship relationships was with Real Madrid, whom the brand supplied from 1994 to 1998.11 This partnership proved particularly memorable as Real Madrid won both the UEFA Champions League and the Intercontinental Cup in 1998 while wearing KELME equipment. Vintage KELME Real Madrid products from this era remain highly recognisable among football shirt collectors.

Although KELME has participated in numerous sports, football gradually became the centre of its international identity. The company has sponsored or supplied numerous Spanish clubs, including Real Madrid, RCD Espanyol, Deportivo Alavés, Levante UD, Villarreal CF, Rayo Vallecano, Málaga CF and Elche CF. KELME’s official history highlights its involvement with Spanish professional football and describes itself today as a leader in football and indoor football/futsal.12

Futsal is an area where KELME has developed a particularly strong specialist reputation. The brand invests heavily in futsal shoes, kits, match balls, indoor-court equipment, player sponsorships and club partnerships. It describes itself as a leader in indoor soccer/futsal and football, with footwear designed around durability, low weight, flexibility and performance.13 In July 2026, for example, KELME announced a new technical sponsorship agreement with Jaén Paraíso Interior FS, a prominent Spanish futsal club.14 This specialisation means KELME can be more visible among serious futsal players than its overall global market share might suggest.

A major turning point occurred in 2014 when KELME officially entered the Chinese market through Jinjiang Yuanxiang Garments Weaving Co., Ltd., based in Jinjiang, Fujian, one of China’s most important sportswear and footwear manufacturing centres.

Rather than competing immediately with Nike or Adidas at the top of the global market, KELME’s Chinese operation built its business through professional football, lower-level leagues, youth and school football, grassroots initiatives, football associations and teamwear. This strategy helped the brand establish a substantial presence in China’s football ecosystem.15

KELME’s modern ownership story reverses the usual trajectory of sports-brand globalisation. After obtaining the brand’s Chinese business in 2014, the Chinese partner acquired controlling shares in the original Spanish sportswear company in 2018, in a transaction reported by Xinhua at approximately 300 million yuan.16 KELME China’s corporate history describes this as the point at which the Spanish-origin brand became controlled by Chinese capital and manufacturing.17

The brand therefore retains its Spanish sporting heritage while its modern business infrastructure is strongly connected to China, following a trajectory from Spanish origins to Chinese market entry, Chinese ownership and global expansion.

Today KELME sells a broad range of sports products across several categories:

• Football: Boots, jerseys, shorts, socks, goalkeeper equipment, training clothing, footballs, club merchandise and teamwear.
• Futsal: Indoor football shoes, kits, balls, training apparel and specialist footwear.
• Basketball: Shoes and apparel, continuing historical sponsorship ties.
• Running and training: Running shoes, training shoes, sports clothing, tracksuits, shorts and jackets.
• Lifestyle: Casual sneakers, T-shirts, sweatshirts, everyday clothing, bags, caps and accessories.

Its international store divides products into categories including football, indoor soccer, casual, children’s products, women’s clothing and accessories.

Footwear remains particularly important to the brand. KELME emphasises lightweight construction, flexibility for rapid changes of direction and durability against repeated impact and abrasion in its football and futsal footwear. The company invests in new materials and works with institutions including the Valencia Institute of Biomechanics (IBV) and INESCOP, a Spanish footwear research organisation, to improve product performance.18

Team sponsorship is central to KELME’s business model. Rather than relying exclusively on celebrity athletes, the company builds visibility by supplying entire teams and competitions, including professional clubs, national teams, futsal clubs, youth teams, referees and grassroots organisations.

KELME’s international expansion has accelerated significantly in Asia. The company partnered with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) beginning in 2021, with the partnership subsequently extended through 2029.19 Under the expanded agreement, KELME became an official technical sponsor associated with major AFC competitions including the AFC Asian Cup, AFC Women’s Asian Cup, AFC U23 Asian Cup, AFC Futsal Asian Cup, AFC Champions League Elite, AFC Women’s Champions League and AFC Champions League Two. The brand is also set to provide official match balls for several AFC competitions.

In January 2026, KELME announced that it had become the official technical sponsor of Indonesia’s national football and futsal teams, working with the country’s governing organisations. The agreement covers men’s and women’s national teams, youth teams, referees and grassroots competitions, marking a significant move in one of Asia’s largest football markets.

As of 2026, KELME continues to position itself primarily as a football and futsal-oriented global sports brand. Recent developments include continued expansion of football team sponsorships, the extended AFC partnership through 2029, Indonesian national-team sponsorship, new Spanish futsal partnerships, continued involvement with RCD Espanyol, expansion of international teamwear and ongoing development of football and futsal footwear.

KELME occupies a distinct position in the sportswear market. Unlike Nike, Adidas or Puma, which operate at enormous global scale across virtually every major sporting category, KELME is considerably more specialised. Its strongest identity lies in football, futsal, teamwear and performance footwear. Among football and especially futsal players, the brand enjoys considerably stronger recognition than its overall market share might suggest. Joma is often cited as a useful comparison, as both are Spanish-origin brands with strong football and futsal identities, though KELME’s differentiation is particularly strong in futsal and teamwear.

KELME states that it has a presence in more than 40 countries, spanning markets across Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa and Oceania.20 Markets associated with the brand include Spain, China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, the United States, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Mexico and various European countries. The precise retail and distribution footprint changes over time, so the 40+ country figure is best treated as the company’s own current statement rather than a fixed global store count.21

• 1960: KELME’s footwear roots begin in Elche, Spain.
• 1977: KELME brand identity and logo formally established.
• 1979: KELME cycling team established.
• 1982: KELME develops its first professional football shoe.
• 1992: Official technical sponsorship of the Spanish Olympic Team at Barcelona Olympics.
• 1994: Conchita Martínez wins Wimbledon while sponsored by KELME.
• 1994–1998: KELME sponsors Real Madrid.
• 1998: Real Madrid wins the European Cup while wearing KELME equipment.
• 2010: KELME becomes official sponsor of Spain’s indoor futsal league.
• 2012: Sponsorship of Levante UD.
• 2013: Sponsorship of Elche CF.
• 2014: KELME enters China through Jinjiang Yuanxiang.
• 2015: KELME China becomes established and expands aggressively into Chinese football.
• 2018: Chinese ownership acquires controlling interest in KELME.
• 2021: KELME begins major partnership with the AFC.
• 2024: AFC partnership extended through 2029.
• 2026: KELME becomes technical sponsor of Indonesia’s football and futsal national teams; continues expansion in European football and Spanish futsal.22

1. About KELME
2. 我的网站
3. 卡尔美
4. 卡尔美简介 – 我的网站
5. About Kelme
6. Kelme Spain | Official Store of Sportswear, Footwear, and Accessories
7. KELME, NUEVO SPONSOR TÉCNICO DE JAÉN PARAÍSO INTERIOR FS
8. O F F I C I A L G LO B A L S U P P O RT E R
9. Collections
10. KELME BECOMES THE OFFICIAL TECHNICAL SPONSOR OF THE INDONESIAN FOOTBAL
11. Football
12. 当耐克和阿迪达斯下沉，卡尔美慌了吗？|卡尔美（KELME）|运动时尚|足球|赛事|赞助商_手机新浪网
13. KELME SE CONVIERTE EN EL PATROCINADOR TÉCNICO OFICIAL DE LA ASOCIACIÓN
14. KELME AND INDUSTRIAS SANTA COLOMA RENEW THEIR AGREEMENT FOR THREE SEAS
15. AW25 INTERNATIONAL TEAMWEAR CONVENTION
16. KELME E A CONFEDERAÇÃO ASIÁTICA DE FUTEBOL ESTENDEM SEU ACORDO DE PARCERIA POR MAIS QUATRO ANOS
17. 卡尔美_360百科
18. 卡尔美简介 – 我的网站
19. Sportswear brand Kelme announces new global partnership with AFC – China.org.cn
20. Sobre KELME
21. Kelme Spain | Official Store of Sportswear, Footwear, and Accessories
22. Legal notice