Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Sportswear |
Founded | 1993 |
Founder | Beth Cross, Pam Parker |
Headquarters | Union City, California, United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Products | Riding boots Cowboy boots Work boots |
Website | www.ariat.com |
Ariat International is an American footwear, apparel and accessories brand for equestrian sports, work industries and other outdoor activities, located in Union City, California. Ariat was launched by Beth Cross and Pam Parker in 1993. It has since become a popular brand in performance footwear for English and Western horseback riding. As of 2023 Ariat International is the largest equestrian sports brand in the world.
Ariat was founded in 1993 by Stanford Business School classmates Beth Cross and Pam Parker. [1] While working for Bain & Company and consulting to Reebok, the co-founders saw an opportunity to apply athletic shoe technology to English and Western riding boots. They named their new company after Secretariat, the famous Triple Crown champion racehorse in honor of his "huge heart and competitive spirit." [2] The same year it was founded, Ariat released its first two boot styles, then went on to hire a number of equestrians and horse enthusiasts. [3] In the years following the company's launch, it expanded into new performance western and English apparel, as well as workwear. [4] The company also expanded its distribution in the U.S., Europe, Australia, Mexico, and Japan. [5]
In 2009, Ariat became the official boot sponsor of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR). [6] In 2015, Ariat signed a sponsorship deal with the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI). [7] In 2017, Ariat joined partners with the non-profit Jared Allen's Homes For Wounded Warriors, an organization which builds homes for injured war veterans. [8]
In 2018, Ariat announced that they were continuing their partnership with the US Equestrian Federation (USEF), [5] and Cross was awarded "Entrepreneur of the Year" in the Consumer Driven category by Ernst & Young. [1] As of 2020, Ariat is reportedly the largest equestrian footwear and apparel company in the world. [9]
Ariat manufactures boots in the United States, Mexico, Asia and Europe. [10] Co-founder Beth Cross worked with biomechanical research groups and testing labs in the making of Ariat's boots, [11] which are designed to be durable in outdoor environments, with patented Duratread outsoles, [12] and patented Advanced Torque Stability technology, (ATS), a multi-layered lightweight sole with a gel-cushioned footbed and a heel stabilizer to provide more support while riding. [13] In the late 1990s they introduced Hexcel cushioning technology for shock absorption while riding and on the ground, and introduced Cobalt technology in the early 2000s for further cushioning support. [14]
In 2006, the firm ventured into making western apparel, including woven shirts, tops and outdoor clothing for men and women. [14] The clothing incorporates flame-resistant technology, which came into demand from the oil workers of Colorado. [15] In 2018, Ariat released their waterproof FR HiVis H2O Proof Jacket. [16] Their waterproof Workhog H2O Boots use a U-turn entry system to make them easier to put on. [17]
Ariat is the official footwear sponsor of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), and the title sponsor of the Ariat World Series of Team Roping (WSTR), the largest adult community of roping athletes. [18]
Ariat was featured in the 2015 movie The Longest Ride , a Nicholas Sparks film about a PBR athlete who is making his way back in bull riding after a life-threatening injury. [19]
A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearly distinguishable from the rest of the sole, even if the two are made of one piece. Traditionally made of leather or rubber, modern boots are made from a variety of materials.
The Wellington boot, often shortened to welly and also known as the gumboot, is a type of waterproof boot.
Dr. Martens also known as Doc Martens, Docs, or DMs, is a footwear and clothing brand, headquartered in Wollaston, Northamptonshire. Although famous for its footwear, the company also makes a range of accessories including clothing and bags. The footwear is distinguished by its air-cushioned sole, upper shape, welted construction, and yellow stitching. The Dr Martens' design studio is in Camden Town, London England. The company manufactures in the UK, China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
Timberland LLC is an American manufacturer and retailer of outdoor footwear and apparel owned by VF Corporation. The company also sells accessories including watches, eyewear, and leather goods. Timberland's corporate headquarters are located in Stratham, New Hampshire.
An Australian work boot is a style of work shoe, typically constructed with a leather upper bound together with elastic sides and pull tabs on the front and back of the boot. The shoe lacks a tongue, and laces, and often contains a steel toe cap for occupational health and safety reasons. When the shoe contains a steel cap they are often known as "safety boots" or "steel toe boots". The boots generally lack an inner lining. The sole is generally polyurethane and the leather uppers are treated to be resistant to hot water, fats and mild alkaline and acid solutions.
Thinsulate is a brand of synthetic fiber thermal insulation used in clothing. The word is a portmanteau of the words thin and insulate, trademarked by 3M. The material is made by the 3M Corporation and was first sold in 1979. It was originally marketed as an inexpensive alternative to down; at the time, 3M claimed it was twice as warm as an equivalent amount of any natural material.
Engineer boots, also known as engineer's boots or engineering boots, are an American type of traditional leather work-boots. Their lace-less, rugged construction made them popular among motorcycle riders. Originally developed in the 1930s for firemen working on steam locomotives, the boots gained substantial popularity in the post–World War II era during a growing motorcycling culture. They became popular symbols of teenage rebellion in the 1950s and a common component of greaser wear. They were later adopted by skinheads and punks in the 1970s. By the 2010s, engineer boots were being popularly worn for fashion purposes, especially by non-traditional customers such as women, young urban professionals, and hipsters.
Jodhpurs, in their modern form, are tight-fitting trousers to the ankle, where they end in a snug cuff, and are worn primarily for horse riding. The term is also used as slang for a type of short riding boot, also called a paddock boot or a jodhpur boot, because they are worn with jodhpurs. According to Tara Mayer, "Jodhpurs … exemplify the material and cultural exchanges between Britain and its Indian colony in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries."
Arc'teryx is a Canadian high-end design company specializing in outdoor apparel and equipment headquartered in North Vancouver, British Columbia. It focuses on technical apparel for mountaineering and Alpine sports, including related accessories. The company's name and logo reference the Archaeopteryx, the transitional fossil of early dinosaurs to modern dinosaurs (birds). Arc'teryx is known for its waterproof Gore-Tex shell jackets, knitwear, and down parkas.
D3O is an ingredient brand specialising in advanced rate-sensitive impact protection technologies, materials and products. It comprises a portfolio of more than 30 technologies and materials including set foams, formable foams, set elastomers and formable elastomers.
Dubarry of Ireland is an Irish-owned company producing footwear, clothing, leather goods and accessories. Established in 1937, Dubarry markets a range of sailing and country footwear and clothing for both women and men. This includes waterproof, Gore-Tex-lined performance sailing boots and leather deck shoes. In addition to its range of country lifestyle boots, Dubarry also has an extensive range of outerwear, knits and shirting in a wide variety of materials from tweed to Alpaca wool. The headquarters of the company is at Ballinasloe, County Galway, Ireland. Over the years Dubarry has expanded its international sourcing network and now works closely with a select group of specialised production partners worldwide.
Double-H Boots manufactures western footwear. It is owned by H.H. Brown, a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway.
Larry Mahan was an American professional rodeo cowboy. He won six all-around world championships and two bull riding world championships in the Rodeo Cowboys Association circuit at the National Finals Rodeo.
UGG is an American fashion company primarily known for its sheepskin boots, founded in 1978 by Australian surfer Brian Smith in Santa Monica, California. After putting on his pair of Australian sheepskin boots after a chilly late-night surf in Malibu, Smith realized sheepskin boots weren't available in the United States like they were in Australia, giving Smith the idea to create UGG. UGG also sells apparel, accessories, and home textiles.
Merrell is an American manufacturing company of footwear products. It was founded by Clark Matis, Randy Merrell, and John Schweizer in 1981 as a maker of high-performance hiking boots. Since 1997, the company has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Wolverine World Wide. Products currently commercialized by Merrell include hiking boots, athletic shoes, sandals, jackets, knit caps, gloves, t-shirts, hoodies, shorts, and socks. Other accessories include backpacks, stuff sacks, and bags.
The Jodhpur boot is an ankle boot or Chelsea boot designed as a riding boot with a rounded toe and a low heel. They originally fastened with a strap and buckle, but today the term also includes designs with straps that do not wrap entirely around the ankle and the elastic-sided design without a strap also known as Chelsea boots. A closely related riding boot design is called a paddock boot, particularly if modified to have a lace-up front. It is named after Jodhpur, the second-largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan.
Justin Boots is an American western and equestrian footwear brand. It is a division of Justin Brands, Inc., itself a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway.
Cowboy boots are a specific style of riding boot, historically worn by cowboys. They have a high heel that is traditionally made of stacked leather, rounded to pointed toe, high shaft, and, traditionally, no lacing. Cowboy boots are normally made from cowhide leather, which may be decoratively hand-tooled, but are also sometimes made from "exotic" skins like alligator, snake, ostrich, lizard, eel, elephant, stingray, elk, buffalo, and so on.
The Lucchese Bootmaker Company is a Texas-based, American manufacturer and retailer of luxury level western-inspired footwear and cowboy boots.
Shane Proctor is an American professional rodeo cowboy. He is the 2011 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) world champion bull rider.