page_title: Topper (sports)
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Topper (sports) / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Racing Club de Avellaneda jersey that belonged to former President of Argentina Néstor Kirchner. The shirt is currently exhibited at the Museum of Argentina Bicentennial. Español: Camiseta de Racing Club perteneciente al ex Presidente de Argentina Néstor Kirchner, exhibida en el Museo del Bicentenario.
context_page_description: Topper is an Argentinian sportswear brand owned by "BRS Comercio e Industria de Material Esportivo SA", headquartered in São Paulo. The company has business in South America, mainly in Brazil and Argentina, where it manufactures a wide range of products from footwear to clothing, with sports equipment for football, basketball, futsal, rugby union, tennis and volleyball.
  In Argentina, Topper is still owned by the local Alpargatas Company.
context_section_description: Topper was founded in Argentina in 1975, as a subsidiary of Alpargatas, the leading textile manufacturer in the country that had been established in 1885. During its first decade of existence, Topper launched its canvas shoe, a model of casual footwear which would soon reached not only a huge success but also became the most representative product of the firm in Argentina, and being considered a real "classic" since then.
  During the 1980s Topper became one of the most important sportswear brands of Argentina, signing deals with clubs such as Independiente, Ferro Carril Oeste and Estudiantes de La Plata. Most of those teams won several championships (not only in football but in basketball) during that era.
  In recent years, Topper supplied garments for the basketball and volleyball national teams. The company also signed new contracts with former teams Independiente and Estudiantes and made new agreements with football teams Racing and Newell's Old Boys and rugby union clubs San Isidro and Hindú.
  The brand was also the official supplier for the Argentina national rugby union team (known as Los Pumas) from 2000 to 2004.
  In 2007 Alpargatas Argentina was sold to São Paulo Alpargatas (owner of Topper in Brazil), a Camargo Correa group company.
  In 2012 Topper brought a lawsuit against club Estudiantes de La Plata for $13 million. The brand accused Estudiantes of "breach of contract" due to the club had switched to German company Adidas in 2011, while the deal with Topper was still active. Adidas and Estudiantes had signed for US$3 million for 3 years. Topper alleged that there was a clause stating that Estudiantes was forced to continue being sponsored by Topper if other brands offered the same amount of money to be their uniform supplier.
  In 2018, Alpargatas Brazil sold the brand Topper to "BRS Comercio e Industria de Material Esportivo SA" for a total of R$ 40 million. BRS is a holding company composed by a group of investors led by Carlos Martins. The contract signed included the license for the use of the brand "Topper" in the US and China.
caption: Racing Club jersey made by Topper and gifted to former Argentine President Néstor Kirchner
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