Rykä is an athletic shoe brand for women.
History
Rykä was founded in 1987 by Sheri Poe, who wanted to design a better-fitting athletic shoe for women.[1][2] The company also produces athletic apparel for women.
Rykä merged with Global Sports in 1997.[3] Global Sports sold its branded division in 1999 to American Sporting Goods Corporation.[4] The company is now owned by Caleres Inc., who bought American Sporting Goods in 2011.[5][6]
Publicity
Poe is credited with introducing Princess Diana to her shoes, through her creation of the Ryka Rose Foundation, a nonprofit organization working to stop violence against women.
Since 2008, Kelly Ripa has been the spokeswoman for Rykä shoes.[7]
The Rykä brand is an example of foreign branding.
External links
References
- About Us | Rykä^
- Glenn Rifkin. Profile; Mix and Match: A Shoe for Women, a Survivor's Tale The New York Times, 1994-07-03^
- Newly-Minted Billionaire Is Spinning eBay Scraps Into Gold^
- Global Sports, Inc. Announces Agreement to Sell Branded Division^
- http://www.marketwatch.com/story/brown-shoe-company-announces-time-for-fourth-quarter-2011-earnings-call-2012-02-24^
- Brown Shoe Acquires American Sporting Goods Corporation^
- RYKÄ ANNOUNCES BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP WITH KELLY RIPA American Sporting Goods Corp., 2008-01-16, retrieved 2009-12-07^