Alpinestars is a global brand, developing technical motorcycle racing products for MotoGP and World Superbike with leather suits, boots, gloves and protection worn by many of the top riders and world champions. The company takes its name from the English translation of the Italian word "stelle alpine" which, when translated into English, literally means "Alpine stars".
Founded in 1963 by Sante Mazzarolo in
Asolo, Italy, the company started out making hiking and ski boots, but quickly focused on making boots primarily for motocross racing. In the 1990s, Alpinestars branched out into manufacturing all types of protective and technical gear ranging from gloves and jackets to full leather suits for motorcycling. Today they have offices in Los Angeles and Tokyo while the original headquarters and main research and development labs remain in
Northern Italy. Alpinestars has also developed a fashion clothing division for sportswear lifestyle apparel based upon their motorsports heritage.