AKU: the perfect balance between protection and comfort.

AKU is an Italian company based in Montebelluna, a historic sports footwear district, specialized in the production of high quality outdoor and professional footwear for over 40 years. The company's history is intimately linked to the legendary Italian manufacturing tradition, which can still be seen today in its wide range of models for mountaineering, trekking, hunting and professional use in mountain environments, which for some years now has been joined by a line of technical models dedicated to special corps and armed forces. Production is concentrated in the two company-owned factories in Italy and Romania, with the support of a specialised Asian supplier for high-performance sports hiking models. With a stable distribution presence in more than 30 markets in Europe, North America and Asia, AKU today represents one of the reference brands among specialised manufacturers for the outdoor and professional market at an international level.

Tell us how the professional collaboration with DANI began?
Collaboration with DANI began right from the company's early years. The choice of DANI as a supplier for leather responds to a fundamental criterion in our strategic choices, i.e. the search for raw materials of absolute and unquestionable quality, offered by a reliable partner. This is coupled with a common responsible commitment to research into environmental impact. An understanding that has enabled AKU to be the first to create exclusive, cutting-edge projects in the outdoor footwear sector, starting with the environmental impact declaration for the product (achieved in 2016) with the “Bellamont Plus” model, made entirely with DANI Chrome Free and Zero Impact leathers.

What do you think of alternative materials to leather?
The drive for innovation in footwear is always strong, and a specialist manufacturer like AKU must be able to demonstrate that it is always moving in that direction. High-quality leather remains to this day an essential component of outdoor footwear, in terms of reliability, comfort and product durability. Alternative materials such as microfibres are of interest in several respects, and we are experimenting with some solutions, driven also by certain market trends. However, we are aware that for certain product categories leather remains a standard from which it is difficult to break away.

Which item best sums up your sustainable commitment?
The line called 'Mountain Inspired', i.e. footwear for light hiking and everyday use, stylistically inspired by traditional mountain footwear, is the line in our collection that proposes the most advanced projects in terms of reducing environmental impact. The whole 'Bellamont' family, in its various declinations, certainly represents our best example in this sense, but our commitment is also to be translated into other product categories, which is why we work on the use of components deriving from recycling processes or experiment, together with the various suppliers, with production solutions with a lower environmental impact.

In what direction is the future of technical footwear heading?
A future of strong research and innovation to guarantee products that enhance the synthesis between comfort and performance.
If you combine this with the ability to design in function of the reduction of environmental impact, then you will find the exact meeting point between demand and supply of an increasingly attentive and selective consumer choice.

https://www.aku.it/