Avia (, ) is an American footwear and

clothing Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials and natural ...

company that specializes in running, yoga and lifestyle activewear, shoes and accessories. Avia was founded in 1979 by Jerry Stubblefield, and is currently a subsidiary of the Sequential Brands Group.

History

Avia was founded in Oregon in 1979 by Jerry Stubblefield."Textiles, Apparel and Luxury Goods: American Sporting Goods Corporation"
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Bloomberg Businessweek ''Bloomberg Businessweek'', previously known as ''BusinessWeek'', is an American weekly business magazine published fifty times a year. Since 2009, the magazine is owned by New York City-based Bloomberg L.P. The magazine debuted in New York City ...

'' Stubblefield reportedly came up with the word "avia" (derived from the Latin "''avis''", meaning "bird") while on a jet flight, and decided to use it as a brand name for a sports shoe to suggest aviation. The father-and-son tandem created designs such as the widely imitated cantilever sole, which helped make Avia an industry leader. In 1987, Avia was acquired by

Reebok Reebok International Limited () is an American fitness footwear and clothing manufacturer that is a part of Authentic Brands Group. It was established in England in 1958 as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons, a sporting goods company ...

for $180 million, which later sold it to the American Sporting Goods Corporation in the later-1990s.AMERICAN SPORTING GOODS TO ACQUIRE AVIA BRAND
(24/04/96), NY Times archive. Retrieved on 26/03/07. Avia has since been acquired by the Sequential Brands Group in the Galaxy Brands deal in 2014.

Products

Avia made its name as a leading brand in the 1980s for its line of women's walking and aerobics shoes, as well as men's shoes. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Avia had a thriving line of basketball shoes; among those who wore Avia were

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, AC Green, and

Clyde Drexler Clyde Austin Drexler (born June 22, 1962) is an American former professional basketball player and the commissioner of the Big3 3-on-3 basketball league. Nicknamed "Clyde the Glide", he played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association ...

. Avia shoes are known for their performance, durability and comfort. Former

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...

Football

head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...

Les Miles Leslie Edwin Miles (born November 10, 1953) is a former American football coach. He most recently served as the head coach at Kansas. His head coaching career began with the Oklahoma State Cowboys, where he coached from 2001 to 2004. Following t ...

wears Avia or Nike shoes while on the sidelines of every game. The company is also known for some of the performance technologies built into their shoes, including the Cantilever Heel (heel support), the ARC – Anatomical Rebound Cradle (comprehensive foot cushioning and arch support), and Avia's FOM technology (shock compression). In 1991, Avia filed a lawsuit against Nike, alleging that Nike's ''Air 180'' and ''Air Force 180'' running and basketball shoes infringed upon Avia patents. Avia accused Nike of pirating its ''Cantilever'' technology, which uses a cushion to provide shock absorption and stability. The company contended the technology has been the basis of its products since Avia was founded in 1980. Avia widened the suit in January 1992 and settled in December 1992. Avia introduced its line of performance and lifestyle activewear in 2013, building upon its continued success within the active category, and later came out with wearable technology in 2015.

Sponsorship

Teams that wear (or have worn) uniforms by Avia brand includes:

Basketball

National teams

References

{{Reflist Shoe brands Sportswear brands Clothing companies established in 1979 Shoe companies of the United States Companies based in Oregon 1979 establishments in Oregon Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2021