" Lasting — Research on shoe lasts is a crucial aspect of the footwear industry. AKU maintains its own library of shoe lasts to meet the specific needs of various end customers, continuously refining them based on experience and customer feedback, a practice that has spanned sixty years.
" Comfort — For the AKU brand, comfort is not just superficial but is achieved through engineering and design considerations. To ensure breathability, the shoe upper uses a patented Air 8000 breathable fabric that is 11 times more breathable than conventional materials; for stability, AKU collaborates with Vibram to use exclusive outsoles that provide maximum slip resistance for all products; and to ensure ergonomic design, the shoe last and footbed are formed as one during the manufacturing process, resulting in an ergonomic shock-absorbing memory footbed structure.
AKU is recognized not only as a prominent brand in the European outdoor market but also holds significant market share in major international markets such as the Americas and Asia.
The origin of Petzl stems from Fernand Petzl’s passion for exploration. Starting with caving, Petzl’s mission has always been to provide safe and effective solutions that help people go further and push beyond their limits — a mission that remains unchanged to this day. For 40 years, Petzl has continuously developed new products and offered effective solutions, enabling sports enthusiasts and professional technicians to safely access and exit rarely visited, hard-to-reach places, both day and night.
The founder of the Petzl brand, Fernand Petzl, was born in 1912. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Fernand Petzl and his brothers explored caves near Gouffre Berger; he was a passionate caver. In 1936, Fernand Petzl met Pierre Chevalier and his friends, and their shared interests marked the beginning of the legendary Petzl brand story.
In 1943, Chevalier designed the first nylon rope, replacing the ladders previously used for caving. The introduction of this product laid the foundation for all vertical sports equipment.
In the early 1950s, during a highly active period for caving, innovative designs by Chevalier enabled Fernand Petzl and Pierre Chevalier to descend to a depth of 1,122 meters in the French Gouffre Berger cave, setting a world record at the time.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Fernand began researching more advanced safety technologies for vertical sports. In 1968, he created his first rope ascender, named “Produits Fernand Petzl.” Five years later, in 1973, he developed his first headlamp for mountaineering.
In 1975, under the leadership of founder Fernand Petzl, the Petzl company headquarters was established in Crolles, France. The original Petzl workshop was about 670 square meters, and the entire Petzl facility was completed in 1977. In the same year, the first safety harness designed for vertical sports was launched.
In the early 1980s, Petzl expanded its product range from caving to include all vertical sports, covering climbing, mountaineering, and rescue product lines.
In 1981, Petzl named its first headlamp The Zoom.
In 1986, Petzl established its first R&D department and built a dedicated product testing tower.
In 1990, Petzl’s Securité department developed the company’s first product for working at height.
In 1991, Petzl’s first self-controlled descent device, the GRIGRI, was launched in the United States and is still in production and sales today. The THE TIBLOC product, developed in 1998, was inspired by the design concept of Fernand Petzl’s first ascender.
In 1998, Petzl relocated its U.S. distribution center from La Fayette, Georgia, to Clearfield, Utah, making it the first distribution center outside of France. The distributor was the well-known North American company Pigeon Mountain Industries.
In 2000, after acquiring Charlet Moser, Petzl expanded its research and production of ice axes and crampons. The same year, the first LED headlamp, TIKKA, was launched.
In 2001, the Petzl brand had approximately 600 products.
In 2002, The QUARK ERGO developed the first angled ice axe.
In 2003, founder Fernand Petzl passed away, and his son Paul Petzl became the current chairman of the Petzl brand.
In 2004, the first work-at-height descent device was developed.
In 2006, Petzl’s new general manager Pascal Bonino took office, and the Petzl Foundation was established. The foundation aims to enhance the social impact and visibility of outdoor sports (such as mountaineering, climbing, and caving), including safety research for working at height and ecological conservation.
In 2007, Petzl participated in the Dubai Safety & Security Exhibition, the largest exhibition of its kind in the world at the time, showcasing its safety and rescue projects.