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OGIO
Based in Utah, OGIO has been in business for over 20 years and is well established in its domestic market. It all started when Mike Pratt, a born thrill seeker and frustrated inventor, came up with an idea for a unique bag. He wanted a sports bag that looked and worked like a locker: a simple concept yet something entirely new for the industry. He managed to secure the financial backing he needed and the OGIO brand was born.
Over the next few years, OGIO’s line-up rapidly expanded to include backpacks, duffel bags and clothing, and the brand grew from strength to strength. When Mike and his design team started applying their considerable talents to sports-specific bags for Motocross, Snowboarding, Skate, Surf and Golf, they really hit the big time. The company has not lost its focus on these categories over the years. Golf and extreme action sports are where their core business lies, and as a result OGIO sponsors some of the world’s finest extreme sports athletes.
So what makes these products so appealing? Well, you only have to spend two minutes getting to know one to appreciate what all the fuss is about. They look cool for starters. The colour ways are trendy and attractive, without being gaudy or brash. Somehow OGIO have managed to pick colours that work for suit-wearing commuters and street-wise skaters alike, and this, allied to the fact that the designs are in a class of their own, makes for a powerful package. However, this beauty is not just skin deep. The real innovation lies inside, and to see that you need to take a hands-on approach.
OGIO like to build bags for a purpose. They are not content to sew a few panels of material together to create a run of the mill luggage item, nor are they happy to just add a token key tag or wallet storage pocket. Instead, they design products for specific tasks to ensure that each user has everything they need for the job in hand, and that all the bag’s functions are cleverly engineered to guarantee faultless performance. OGIO are innovators and designers in the truest sense of the words. Their gear bags have built in stowaway changing mats, expandable wet kit areas and tool pockets; and the back packs have side entry, suspended laptop sleeves for easy access, fleece-lined audio pockets, filing systems, power pack storage areas, plus stacks more features. The functions list is pretty much endless. Some ideas are truly inspired, like the shower system in the Surf Bus duffel, or the board carry facilities of the snow packs. The point is that every bag gets the OGIO treatment; even the simplest bags have some neat little tricks.
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