Columbia Sportswear 2009 Annual Report Download - page 11

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innovate. Our outerwear is designed to protect the wearer from the harsher inclement weather commonly
encountered in fall and winter outdoor activities, such as skiing, snowboarding, hiking, hunting, fishing and
adventure travel.
Footwear
We design, develop, market and distribute footwear products for men and women under our Columbia,
Sorel, Montrail and Pacific Trail brands and for youth under our Columbia and Sorel brands. Our footwear
products address the needs of outdoor consumers who participate in activities that typically involve challenging
or unusual terrain and require superior stability, cushioning and traction features. Our Sorel-branded footwear has
evolved from offering primarily rugged cold weather boots to incorporate function and fashion. Our footwear
products include durable, lightweight hiking and trekking boots, trail running shoes, rugged cold weather boots
for activities on snow and ice, sandals for use in amphibious activities, and casual shoes for everyday use.
Accessories and Equipment
We design, develop, market and distribute a line of Columbia-branded accessories and equipment, including
bags, packs, headwear, scarves and gloves. These products incorporate many of our performance technologies
and complement our apparel and footwear collections to protect consumers during a multitude of outdoor
activities in virtually any climate. We also design, develop, market and distribute a line of Mountain Hardwear
accessories and equipment that includes technically-advanced tents, sleeping systems, backpacks, headwear and
gloves. These products are designed for mountaineering, ultralight backpacking and camping.
Licensed Products
We license our Columbia and Pacific Trail trademarks across a range of product categories that complement
our current offerings. Licensing enables us to develop our “head-to-toe” outfitting concept by expanding the
reach of our brands to appropriate and well-defined categories. In 2009, we licensed our Columbia and Pacific
Trail trademarks through 15 licensees in 14 product categories, including, among others, apparel, footwear,
socks, performance base layer, leather outerwear and accessories, camping gear, eyewear, home furnishings,
watches and bicycles.
Product Design and Innovation
We believe our product innovation efforts are a key factor in our past and future success. We are committed
to designing innovative and functional products that deliver relevant performance benefits to consumers who
participate in a wide range of competitive and recreational outdoor activities, enabling them to enjoy their
outdoor activities longer and in greater comfort. We also place significant value on product designs (the overall
appearance and image of our products) that, along with technical performance features, distinguish our products
in the marketplace.
Our research and development efforts involve working closely with independent fabric component suppliers
to develop products that address the unique performance problems encountered by consumers during outdoor
activities. The most important performance features of our sportswear and outerwear products include water
resistant or waterproof fabrics, insulation from cold ambient air temperatures and the chilling effects of wind,
body warmth retention, skin protection from the damaging effects of UVA and UVB rays emitted by the sun,
moisture wicking, breathability to minimize internal water vapor and moisture accumulation, protection from
abrasion, liquid and stain repellency, light weight, and intelligent placement and operation of pockets and zippers
for ample storage and easy access to important equipment and accessories. The most important performance
features of our outdoor footwear products include cushioning, stability, superior traction in varying outdoor
terrain and soil/moisture conditions, insulation from cold air or ground conditions such as snow and ice, water
resistant or waterproof upper fabrics, water channeling and expulsion during aquatic activities, breathability of
the upper fabrics, protection from bruising and abrasion, liquid and stain repellency, and fit.
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