Airwalk
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| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1986 |
| Headquarters | Denver, Colorado |
| Key people | Bruce Pettet |
| Products | shoes, apparel |
| Website | http://www.airwalk.com/ |
Airwalk is a boardsport (ie. Surfing and skateboarding) footwear company based in Denver, Colorado. It was established in 1986 by Bill Mann, George Yohn and Jess Lagunda. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the company made skate shoes, t-shirts, snowboard boots, and other products, and sponsored professional skaters including Jason Lee and Tony Hawk.
In the mid-90's, Mann left the company. After his departure, the decision was made to "go mainstream" and focus on a more general audience rather than just creating shoes for sport enthusiasts. There was a brief rise in sales, but some people loyal to the brand found the mainstream designs questionable.
In January 2004 Collective Licensing International was formed around the purchase of the Airwalk Brand. They claim their focus was to purchase iconic action sports brands and return them to their roots by re-introducing past product design and focusing on the Youth board sport culture. Purchasing brands such as Vision Streetwear, Sims Snowboards, and several others, Collective Licensing began to market the 'new' Airwalk aggressively in print magazines and online.
In March 2007 Collective Licensing International. was acquired by Collective Brands International., owners of Stride Rite and Payless Shoe Source, though the Airwalk brand is still being managed and maintained autonomously by Collective Licensing International.
According to their dealer locater the brand can be found in hundreds of various specialty shops, retail chains, and countries around the globe.
In 2009 Jeff Staple of Staple Design began working with Airwalk on a line of 80s and 90s inspired, limited run sneakers for both general release and in collaboration with brands such as The Hundreds. Their products are now sold in Sports World, a British sporting goods retailer.
Recently they have announced a product line containing many of their original styles including several styles in the 'Prototype' line, the 'Jim', and several other classics to go along with more recent styles.
