We received word today that Adio Footwear has been licensed over from K2 to New York based AL&S Footwear. This agreement includes the production of footwear, clothing and accessories with the Adio brand name. AL & S current brands include Britishers, Coogi, US Polo Association, Cadillac, FUBU, Mountain Gear and Smiths.
News on the agreement recently came during the holidays so a lot of stuff is still yet to be know or has yet to be announced to the Adio sales team or the general public. From a retailer standpoint all orders for Spring and Summer 2010 will be produced and shipped as planned.
Theres really two ways you can look at this deal. 1.) its the death of Adio, to some the licensing over to a company without any direct ties to the skateboarding industry is a sign of bad things to come. OR 2.) It may breathe some life into Adio and bring in new styles and new outside of the box designs.
I personally hope its #2. I, for one, think the industry needs a little kick in the ass design wise. Recently all I have been seeing are rehashed designs covered up in new colorways. All the same Mid and Outsoles, with different uppers. Sure, its a way to save money and the way that skaters go through shoes its understandable that companies want to find every way possible to lower price points and make the MSRP much more attractive to the buyer. While the price is right in most cases, however, it does nothing to the evolution of skateboard footwear. Less R&D and overall less innovation. So lets hope for the best in regards to this new agreement.
We will update you as we learn more about this deal and what it means to Adio and its future collections.
