We sought to find a manufacturer capable of handling the non-negotiables of expert craftsmanship, extraordinary technical capacity and an ability to take ongoing innovation in stride.

Our partnership with Pou Chen Group (known internally as YY or YS8) allows a relatively small brand like Arc’teryx to make high tech footwear, a rarity in the outdoor apparel space.

Footwear is challenging for many small companies to launch, for lack of access to a good manufacturer. The Arc’teryx standard of uncompromising quality and our design philosophy of disruptive innovation requires more than a good manufacturer, it needs an exceptional one.

Fortunately, being part of the Amer Sports family gave us access to Pou Chen, an industry-leading company with high technical capacity and expert craftsmanship. Arc’teryx needs the high degree of quality and consistency that comes from Pou Chen. By producing for us, Pou Chen continues their journey at the cutting edge of technology and design, helping them evolve.

Pou Chen is committed to its employees, with stringent corporate responsibility standards in place. In 2018, it became the only footwear manufacturer globally to be accredited by the Fair Labor Association (FLA). They also offer a summer camp for employee children, encourage open communication through staff and union meetings and host social activities. Pou Chen is commitment to reducing the environmental impact of their production and hold certifications for environmental management and energy management (ISO14001 and ISO50001, and OHSAS18001). They have recently installed equipment to further reduce Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions.

As we continue to improve our footwear to provide optimum comfort and functionality, Pou Chen has been instrumental in methodizing our innovations, including Invisible Fit, a technology we worked closely on with W. L. Gore & Associates. Construction with Invisible Fit required complex new techniques and equipment for gluing and lamination, a challenge in which the Pou Chen’s employees excelled.

Since the start of our footwear program, we have evolved. We now have several designers working exclusively on Arc’teryx footwear. As we continue to mature in this area, we rely on the leaders and craftspeople at Pou Chen to bring our future innovations to life.