Ariat: Perfect Performance
An Interview With Bruce Kaplan
Written by Kenyatta D. Pious

Ariat is an equestrian inspired manufacturer based in Union City, California whose tenet has been to provide “technologically advanced riding boots for the world's top equestrian athletes” since 1992. It makes sense then that “Ariat” means “perfect performance” in Italian. Today Ariat has expanded to include western footwear, belts, handbags, small leather goods, and assorted apparel for men, women and kids. Celebs have also caught the Ariat bug: Madonna, John Travolta, James Denton and Rascal Flatts have all been sighted wearing Ariat footwear, just to name a few. As part of our accessories issue, we decided to shine a spotlight on Ariat’s new offerings under its “casual” line: the Metropolitan Collection and Calistoga for men.

We chatted with Ariat’s Bruce Kaplan about the company’s reputation for durability, patented technology as well as the genesis of Ariat:
Who are the core clients of Ariat’s Casual footwear?
We have a very loyal customer base that we have developed from the equestrian side of our business. In this arena we are by far the most recognized brand in the industry. We have now developed in the last few years a new consumer that has moved over from buying traditional euro comfort footwear. Today’s consumer expects a blend of performance and style. As we develop new categories we will see even more new consumers shift to our brand.

What is the inspiration behind the Ariat Metropolitan and Calistoga Collections?
We looked at the market place and felt the offerings of casual footwear had become a bit heavy and stale. We also saw a lot of fashion footwear with an athletic influence being sold at retail. We saw a tremendous opportunity and felt it was important to blend performance with more of a casual or tailored feel thus giving the consumer more opportunities to expand their wardrobe…to not sacrifice look or performance.

How did Ariat start?
Beth Cross began her career at Bain & Company focusing on product development for several of the world's top athletic shoe brands such as Reebok and Avia. As a rider herself, Cross knew how poorly traditional boots supported and cushioned the feet of riders and wanted to design a boot using the same technology as an athletic shoe – a boot that can boost performance and protect the athlete from injury.

In 1992, Ariat was created. The company introduced their first English riding boots and Western boots to the marketplace that following year featuring ATS® patented technology designed to deliver stability, durability and comfort. Ariat is the pioneer of integrating athletic shoe technology into equestrian footwear and is America’s No. 1 English and Western footwear company.

What trends do you expect will be big next season?
Softer materials and brighter colors will draw consumers in. Heels and wedge heights will continue to come down in height and weight. Color blocks inside and outside the shoe will be very important to use in order to capture the consumer's attention. Lastly cross over footwear, those items that span age demographic and wardrobe use will be very strong.

Where can the collection be purchased?
Ariat sells to over 4,000 retail outlets in the United States and Canada offers full product assortments in the English, Western, Work and Casual categories. Ariat’s equestrian line has achieved similar success in the international marketplace. Ariat [is] the fastest growing equestrian footwear company in the world.

For more info, visit: www.ariat.com

Inquiries:
Sally Fischer PR
Phone: 212-246-2977