Fila is a leading manufacturer of athletic shoes, sportswear and accessories, founded by Giansevero Fila in Biella, Italy in 1911. The original Italian ownership group sold Fila to the American hedge fund Cerberus Capital Management in 2003. Four years later, Cerberus sold the company to Fila Korea, which now controls the entirety of Fila’s operations.
Worldwide, Fila has approximately 500 distribution facilities, with 300 franchised retail stores. Fila’s primary market is 18-34-year-old consumers with athletic shoes ranging from the easily affordable to exclusive.
Fila’s popularity peaked in the 1970s when a sponsorship deal with tennis great Bjorn Borg made Fila the most recognised brand in tennis footwear and apparel. The new Korean management under CEO Yoon Keun-Chang is currently pushing to revive the brand. To that end, they purchased Acushnet in 2011, which owns the brand Titleist, in a bid to increase their exposure in the golf market.
