Airwalk
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Airwalk may also refer to Airwalk (skate trick)
Airwalk is a boardsport (ie. Surfing and skateboarding) footwear company based in Altoona, Pennsylvania. It was established in 1986 by Bill Mann and George Yohn. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the company made skate shoes, t-shirts, snowboard boots, and other products, and sponsored professional skaters including Jason Lee and Tony Hawk.
In the mid-90's, Mann left the company. After his departure, the decision was made to "go mainstream" and focus on a more general audience rather than just creating shoes for sport enthusiasts. There was a brief rise in sales, but some people loyal to the brand found the mainstream designs questionable. After a few ownership changes, Airwalk finally found a place at the discount store level. Currently, new shoes are being sold at various discount shoe stores like Payless Shoes and Modells around the country. In recent years, Airwalk shoes have started becoming popular again, mainly in the skate shoe department.
Airwalk's rise and fall in popularity is a case study in The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, a best-selling 2002 book by Malcolm Gladwell.
