SOLE announces partnership with Hawaiian Agency ANH International Marketing Group

VANCOUVER, Canada – August 8, 2017

SOLE™ is proud to announce their new partnership with John Akana and his team at ANH International Marketing Group, who will be representing the footbed brand in Hawaii.

Having had experience with SOLE as an industry-leading brand, Akana is looking forward to the partnership. 

“I’ve sold against SOLE for years and it wasn’t easy, so I’m really excited to be selling SOLE and giving the end consumer, and my retail partners, the superior insole they want and deserve,” he said. 

ANH International Marketing Group, Inc., founded by Akana in 1991, focuses on representing innovative brands and has been able to provide the support that’s driven said brands to become category leaders in the Hawaiian Islands. 

“The Hawaiian islands represent a significant opportunity for SOLE now and into the future as our line expands,” said SOLE’s Director of US Sales, Zachary Osness. “Having a dedicated team of locals on the islands with a proven track record of superior service and sales is the focus the brand needs to penetrate this market in a meaningful way.”

Osness is particularly excited about working with Akana, stating, “Akana’s pre-existing relationships across multiple trade channels and previous experience selling footbeds means his team will be able to hit the ground running. With his intimate knowledge of the market, we have already begun discussing opportunities to best partner with Hawaiian retailers.”

Akana attributes his success in growing brand recognition in Hawaii to service and follow-through on all levels. This is done through brand and product education for retail partners and marketing and events for consumers. 

ANH also currently represents KEEN footwear, Hestra Gloves, Pacsafe Travel Bags and Skins Compression, among other brands. 

AHN will be promoting SOLE’s expanded product offerings, which feature their multiple collections of customizable footbeds made using 100% recycled natural cork. Natural cork is an environmentally responsible material choice and ideal for use in footbeds as it is naturally moisture wicking, odor-reducing and has an elasticity that absorbs shock and allows it to mold to the wearer’s feet for a custom fit. 

The use of recycled cork in footbeds is a completely original and environmentally friendly invention by SOLE. The cork used is recycled by ReCORK™, North America’s largest wine cork recycling initiative, which was adopted by SOLE in 2008. Repurposing natural wine corks into footwear removes it from the waste stream while creating a natural material that replaces environmentally harmful ones otherwise used in footwear production.

To learn more about SOLE and ReCORK, visit yoursole.com and recork.org