About Us
About Us
What is Aks?
"REFLECTION"
Aks in Urdu language means reflection. It is our believe that what we wear is a reflection of who we are, so all of Aks products reflect the values with which they are made. Values of fairness, sustainability, women's development and inclusiveness. When you wear Aks, you are reflecting the values that YOU stand for.
Aks was built on the idea that the products we buy have the power to build a more equitable world.
Our story
We are sisters who are passionate about women's development. Ten years ago we embarked on a journey to Pakistan to address the issues around gender equality which soon turned into a path that involved building, tracing and fixing fashions supply chain in a country that's one of the biggest producer of textile and cotton in the world.
Textile. A common thread.
80% of women's lives in emergent nations is connected to textile
We have seen how closely connected the lives of women in many parts of the world are with textile- as cotton pickers, artisans, and garment workers. Our disconnection from those who make our products at the source has left us with a broken industry that exploits and impacts women the most. That's why we have made it our mission to strengthen the economic potential of women and push the industry in a more equitable direction that cares not only for the makers, but also the planet.
More About Our ImpactCotton Pickers
80% of cotton pickers are women
Garment Workers
80% of women are garment workers
Artisans
80% of women are in artisan sector
What we make and how we make it matters.
Why sneakers?
At Aks, we asked ourselves a simple question:
What product can we produce that will bring real, meaningful impact to the industry?
The footwear industry is notorious for poor working conditions and using plastic that is clogging our planet. The future of our planet is in our hands today and we can no longer be okay with temporary solutions being sold to us in the name of sustainability. We believe that we can do better and are challenging the status quo through seed to end design and a holistic approach to materials and production that have been used for generations.
The simplest changes make the biggest impact
To innovate, we often look ahead. But sometimes, the best way forward is found in traditional knowledge. So instead of re-inventing the wheel, we went back to the roots, and did things the way they should have been done from the beginning. We brought together farmers, artisans and responsible factories and gave the old classic a fresh look. Aks are fully traceable, stand on its own, and are a true work of art.
More about our materials
