Creator of the infamous FiveFingers articulated “toe shoes,” Vibram has been in the game for decades. To celebrate the 80th anniversary of the brand’s Carrarmato sole, Vibram is debuting a blue sole in Portland and embracing customization.
The blue sole will go live at Struktur, a creative conference in the footwear industry’s Mecca from April 25 to 27.
“Designers play an essential role in the creation of outdoor apparel and equipment, yet they rarely get the attention that other fields enjoy,” said Allon Cohne, chief marketing officer of Vibram USA, in a statement. “Our intention with the launch of a Vibram blue sole at Struktur is to celebrate outdoor design and recognize the 80th anniversary of Vibram’s Carrarmato sole as a design that has withstood the test of time and spanned generations of style.”
In an initiative that embraces customization and traditional cobbling, Vibram will be showcasing its Sole Factor repair and customization program at the conference. The service allows customers to bring in new or old shoes for new soles and refurbishment. A 38-foot RV packed with cobbling equipment — dubbed the Footwear Customization Lab — will be offering Struktur attendees with a complimentary blue Carrarmato resole for the momentous anniversary.
Moreover, according to SGB Media, Vibram will be donating all blue Carrarmato sole proceeds to Big City Mountaineers and resoling all Big City Mountaineers staff and trip volunteers for the upcoming spring/summer 2017 trip schedule.
“For nearly 30 years, Big City Mountaineers has worked to offer life-changing experiences for under resourced urban youth through wilderness mentoring expeditions,” said Bryan Martin, executive director for Big City Mountaineers, in a statement. “This wouldn’t be possible without the longstanding support of partners like Vibram. We are extremely grateful for Vibram’s generous Carrarmato resole initiative and even more so for our history of collaboration together.”
Would you consider adding a Vibram outsole to a pair of your shoes? What do you think of the blue sole? Let us know in the comments.
Vibram Sole Factor truck at Arco di Trento for the @mxgp Motocross World Cup 2017 pic.twitter.com/T3PtAni81v
— Vibram® (@vibram) April 15, 2017
Source: SGB Media
This is dope. Innovation at its finest. More shoe companies should do this to allow for more customization.
Agreed!!