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Living the Dream

Avre combines style, comfort and purpose. By Greg Dutter

AVRE IS A DREAM come true— literally. Sisters and creators Connie and Julie Kuo dreamed of launching their own brand ever since they were kids. But it wasn’t a pipe dream in as much their parents have operated East Lion Corp., makers of Qupid, for more than 40 years. The shoe business is entwined in the sisters’ DNA, plus they have some really good industry connections.

“We saw our parents build their company with their own hands,” Julie Kuo says. “Some of the world’s best products and brands come from collaborations between two individuals.”

But Avre isn’t just another women’s athleisure brand. It’s unique in terms of construction, style and purpose—a brand recipe, Kuo says, that involves a commitment to a broader conversation beyond footwear. “We want to connect with and support talented women, as well as our planet,” she explains. “We’re committed to making life easier for future generations by supporting two charities, Equality Now and Oceana, which examine pivotal issues around sustainability, restoration, protection, inclusivity and equality.” Kuo adds, “Avre is focused on celebrating women from all walks of life, regardless of race, religion, age or size.”

Sustainability-wise, Avre walks the walk. The brand’s 3D Knit-to-Shape technology drastically reduces waste by creating precise sizes and eliminating scraps. In addition, upper fabrics are made of recycled plastic bottles by Repreve. “We partnered with Repreve because we want to show transparency regarding our process of achieving sustainability,” Kuo says, adding that outsoles are made by Bloom, a company that harvests algae from waterways. “Bloom harvests harmful algae that, in turn, improve our ecosystems. Ultimately, we protect our planet, reduce waste, improve air quality and provide clean water as a result of our sustainable design features.”

For Spring/Summer ’23, that approach is layered onto the aftereffects of the pandemic where the world is still on the road to adjustment and recovery. “We want to represent wellness and peace in our latest collection with lightweight materials and neutral, earthy colorways,” Kuo says. “We’re also gravitating toward details that have natural elements of comfort.” That includes the brand’s first expansion beyond sneakers into slides. “We are dipping into other categories while still representing the DNA of the brand,” she says.

Who is the Avre woman? Kuo says she’s looking for fashion, comfort and sustainability. It’s a broad demographic. “Our customer is any women,” she notes. “Avre is a go-to shoe for ‘it’ girls, moms onthe-go and everyone in between.” That includes celebrities, such as Jessica Alba, Nina Dobrev, Eva Longoria, Olivia Munn and Jamie Chung, who have been seen sporting the brand. It helps, Kuo believes, that two women are in charge of Avre and know what women want. “Avre connects with women because we share the same experiences, have similar thoughts and feelings, and have the same passions,” she says. “Our brand speaks to women, because it’s two strong, independent women behind the name.”

It also helps to have strong industry ties to get a new brand off the launch pad. A family with 40-plus years of industry experience can avoid beginners’ mistakes. East Lion Corp. possesses extensive resources and strong factory connections. The parent company also has a track record of delivering quality goods, on-time and in-full, to key retailers nationwide. “They trust our ability to deliver product that is what we say it is,” Kuo says. “Many brands, for example, have very loosely used the word sustainable and are misleading their customers, whereas we’re partnering with proven sustainable material companies.” So far, so good, Kuo reports—and that’s despite introducing the brand right before the pandemic hit. It hasn’t been easy. Avre had to pivot to keep going in those early months, which included adding a DTC channel. “We felt it was important to tell our story of who, what and why Avre was created,” she says. “But not being able to do social events was challenging.” So the sisters shifted to word-of-mouth efforts and working strategically with people they met on social media who share similar passions and goals and could introduce the brand to their friends and families. The efforts have paid strong dividends. “Avre is being met with great enthusiasm, and our sales are growing,” Kuo reports. “We’re receiving positive feedback from buyers, celebrities, editors and, most importantly, customers.”

Avre’s near-term goal is to grow its wholesale customer base, particularly with brick-and-mortar dealers. “People still want the personal experience and to touch and try on the shoes,” Kuo says. “We want to establish partnerships with select retailers who are closely connected to their consumers and their communities.” Looking further out, Avre’s goal is to become much more than a women’s footwear brand, which includes expansion into men’s and kids’ styles as well as clothing and accessories. That expansion also goes beyond product. “We want our cornerstones of sustainability, empowerment and community to be encompassed by everyone,” Kuo says. “Avre is not just a sneaker brand, it’s a way of life. Our aim is to make a positive and sustainable change that we all carry with us.”

The Infinity Glide by Avre.

Aetrex 3D Scanner Making Friends Fast

The Albert 2 Pro is state-of-the-art and user-friendly with increasingly broad applications.

AETREX CEO LARRY SCHWARTZ was confident the latest version of its 3D foot scanning technology, the Albert 2 Pro, would be a hit in stores with customers being able to discover what shoes and orthotics fit best. And that’s exactly what’s happened since the scanners rolled out nationwide, beginning in October 2020. Soon after, though, wholesalers began reaching out to Aetrex about utilizing the services of the Albert 2 Pro—BOA Fit System being the first. “BOA was interested to see how they could use our scanAlbert 2 Pro scanner ner, specifically 3D foot measurements, to help them further understand and identify the subtle variations in foot shapes,” Schwartz says. “We have the only scanner that collects 16 different 3D measurements, so it’s incredibly useful for developing footwear. The Albert 2 Pro can also collect both static (standing) and dynamic (walking) pressure data.”

BOA has been utilizing the Albert 2 Pro to scan athletes’ unique feet, collecting key 3D foot measurements along with biomechanical data through motion capture, force plates and more to better understand the way subtle variations in foot shape, the construction of footwear uppers and material choices impact athletic performance. In addition to using scan data to select and recruit testers with a well-matched foot shape into the lab, BOA analyzes the data to optimize how its BOA Fit System integrates onto footwear to securely wrap the foot, yielding the maximum performance benefits.

“If we understand where along the length of the shoe the average instep is highest, we can design our panels to lock that area in,” says Dan Feeney, Ph.D., director of the Biomechanics Research & Performance Fit Lab. “Similarly, we use the length from the heel to the metatarsophalangeal joints to determine where our last panel should end. Thus, we ensure footwear from industry-leading brand partners garner the maximum performance benefits of the BOA Fit System.”

To date, BOA’s Performance Fit Lab has scanned more than 300 athletes with the Albert 2 Pro and conducted performance tests in golf, court, trail running, hiking, work, ski, snowboard and cycling categories. BOA found that configurations featuring a wrap structure powered by its fit system improved athletic performance (agility and speed) by up to nine percent, according to a study by Footwear Science.

Burton has also recently made friends with the Albert 2 Pro. The snowboard company is currently testing the scanner at its Vermont headquarters store as a part of its efforts to find a real-world data source to help understand foot shapes better, says Eric Carlson, senior product line merchandiser. The goal is to help customers find the right-fitting boots and orthotics based on foot type.

The more brand connections the Albert 2 Pro makes the merrier, says Schwartz. “Over the past 20 years, we’ve used learnings from our foot scanners to develop Aetrex footwear and orthotics lines, so we knew 3D data would be the next step for brands besides ours to develop their footwear and performance products,” he says. “We just didn’t know how much interest we would get so quickly.” That interest includes recent inquiries for complete access to anonymous global 3D foot data across Aetrex’s database to help brands develop highly informed lasts. “We’re excited to share that we have a new 3D data portal launching soon on our Foot.com website,” Schwartz says. “More to come Boa Fit System is using Aetrex’s Albert 2 Pro on this soon.” —G.D. scanner to help achieve optimum fits.

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interested before. Asportuguesas, for example, has definitely helped us expand in the outdoor specialty channel.

Is it still the tip of the iceberg in terms of Asportuguesas’ potential?

We believe so. The introduction was very well received, and now the brand is well-timed with the changes that have occurred in our lifestyle over the past two years. The unique silhouettes and sustainability story remain the drivers, but as the importance of the sustainability story grows, we must remain true to that story. There’s a lot of people who talk about sustainability but don’t have the product or proper sourcing guidelines to support that story. You have to talk the talk and walk the walk. You can’t just claim you’re sustainable without the product sourcing and materials to support it. Consumers will find out who the fakes are. Sustainability has always been a strong emphasis of Asportuguesas, and it will continue to be. We are always trying to find new materials and innovations to make sure that the technology supports that story behind the brand.

Have the past two years or so been the most challenging in your 40-plus years career, or is this more a case of what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger?

We’ve been extremely thankful and fortunate to have a loyal customer base, who has supported our family of brands through these challenging times. In addition, our professional sales team and staff have been the strength and backbone for our success through the pandemic. They’ve faced and overcome every challenge thrown their way.

Where do you envision Bos. & Co. in three years?

Doing well and stronger than we are today. We will continue to build our market share primarily with the independent retail customer base. While we’re on board with chains like Nordstrom, the lion’s share of our customers is still independent accounts across Canada and the U.S. Meanwhile, we’ll continue to further develop with our Portugalbased team to use the newest materials and latest manufacturing techniques to make the most compelling collections.

Might another brand join the Bos. & Co. portfolio?

Never say never, but right now our focus is on continuing to build the four brands that we have and adding Ambitious. Let’s see where that leads us.

What do you love most about your job?

Going to work every day with my family. My father (Jim) is 83 and in the office daily. We all appreciate his passion and guidance. My brother, Dean, with his creative and marketing skills, is a fantastic partner. And my nephew, James, is now actively involved in both sourcing and sales. He’ll ensure the future growth of our company. The best thing that can be said is that we rely and can count on each other. •