Trekking & Outdoor Footwear

AKU, an Italian company, founded by Galliano Bordin, which has grown from a small workshop into an industry, has more than thirty years’ experience in the design and production of high quality trekking and outdoor footwear. 

The AKU collection ranges from mountaineering boots to active free time footwear and behind each model lies a genuine love for manufacturing, built on the age-old prestigious tradition of Italian workmanship. 

Research into new technologies, together with the design and production of the AKU trekking and outdoor footwear collection top models, take place at the production plant in Montebelluna, Italy in the province of Treviso, famous for its sports footwear. 

The second production facility is in Cluj Napoca, in Romania, where part of the AKU models are manufactured. Ongoing investments in materials research, technological designs, and production craftsmanship have made AKU the undisputed leader in comfort and fit for all applications of outdoor footwear.

We like to think that whoever buys our products is a conscious user of authentic and functional manufactured goods, not simply a final consumer of stuff. A respectful ethical product, with real value made to last in time. 

We all can contribute to a better future, for both the natural environment and the social community. 

On the industrial operation’s side the company is committed to finding low impact solutions and offering maximum transparency regarding the product’s origin. On the community side AKU supports projects to connect people and mother nature, with a special eye on nature meant as working environment.

Inspiration

AKU boots are designed for people that live, work and spend time in the outdoors. Since the beginning, the mountain environment and its cultural values are the main inspiration source at AKU.A world in which AKU trusts and to which it expresses its commitment.

Heritage

We are an Italian company, which has grown from a small workshop into an industry, has more than thirty years’ experience in the design and production of high quality trekking and outdoor footwear.

Product

When it comes to the PRODUCT, AKU is committed to finding design and production solutions that have a reduced environmental impact, while keeping the quality and technical functions of the product intact.We therefore pay particular attention to the SAFETY and ORIGIN of the raw material, as well as to the REGENERATION and REUSE of various product components.

Traceability

AKU’s commitment to shortening the supply chain has resulted in the company concentrating more than 85% of its production in company-owned facilities in Italy and Romania, thereby limiting the environmental impact caused by the transport of goods. It is also possible to trace the geographical origin of 100% of the product components—raw material and semi-finished parts, guaranteeing the user complete transparency.

Safety

Relevant research is aimed at reducing or completely eliminating the main chemical substances that are potentially harmful for the health of man and of the environment. One of the most important objectives the company has currently set itself with regard to the safety of the raw material is to use DANI - SUSTAINABLE LEATHER, obtained through a certified process of chromefree tanning and retanning of full grain hides from European cattle. The product test recently carried out by the German foundation Stiftung Warentest on an old favourite of ours, the model Trekker Lite II GTX, also highlighted the low impact of the product’s main components–hide, fabric and felt–which are shared with approximately 50% of the models in our collection.

Dani Sustainable Leather Chrome Free

The leathers of Dani Sustainable Leather come with certificates attesting that the nubuck leather used is of Italian origin, especially treated to be fully waterproof and breathable, processed in compliance with the European standards for environmental protection.The final result is a highly aesthetic product, which is at the same time rich in technical content intended to grow with time and use.

Reuse

One of the areas that AKU is focusing on in the design stage is the use of recycled materials as new product components. This is already a well-established practice for certain categories of the collection and in no way compromises the quality and functionality of the product. The MOUNTAIN INSPIRED collection’s urban use models, for example, have outsoles made with 30% of recycled rubber and midsoles made with 20% of recycled EVA, suitably treated to ensure they are reliable and long-lasting.

Vibram Eco Step

The ECO STEP outsole of Bellamont Plus is made by Vibram® using recycled rubber. AKU, working together with a specialised supplier, manufactures the midsole in Italy by regenerating pressed EVA production waste, in a percentage equal to 20% of the total compound.