Brand of athletic shoes

AVIA

This 1980s running shoe rival shared its name with a Latin word for "bird."

The clue "Brand of athletic shoes" points to AVIA, a lesser-known but established shoe company that competed with bigger names like Nike and Adidas in the '80s and '90s. It’s a straightforward definition clue—no wordplay or tricks—just testing your knowledge of sportswear brands. If you’re unfamiliar, AVIA might not come to mind right away, but it fits perfectly as a concise, four-letter answer.