History
The footwear revolution – 70 years on
Vibram have been setting the standard in performance footwear for more than 70 years. FiveFingers are a new chapter in the Vibram story, bringing their expertise in product design, testing and market research to sportspeople and adventurers around the globe.
From tragedy to triumph
In 1930’s Italy, Vitale Bramani owned a mountain sports supplies shop at 8 Spiga Street in Milan. In 1935, he lost six of his friends in a climbing expedition. Weather changes and their inadequate “hemp shoes” were partly to blame for the tragedy and Vitale was determined to find a way of making climbing safer through improved footwear design.
Just two years later, Vitale joined forces with Leopoldo Pirelli (of the famed car tyres and calendars) to launch the first shoe sole made of vulcanised rubber, the Carrarmato. The Vibram company and rubber soled shoes were born. From catwalk to K2, the world of footwear has never been the same.
Pushing the boundaries
In the spirit of “safe” adventure that inspired his grandfather, sailing enthusiast Marco Bramani teamed up with designer Robert Fliri to create the Vibram Fivefingers®. Fliri’s glove-like footwear design immediately appealed to Bramani. He saw the perfect solution for protecting his feet from sharp objects on deck while giving him a responsive grip in unstable conditions. The pair worked together to create the original Fivefingers® Classic.
Footwear that keeps up with you
Since they first came on the international market in 2005, the Vibram FiveFingers® range has grown to include the KSOs, Flows and Sprints as well as the original Classics with innovative new models including the Bikila released mid 2010. We keep listening to our customers and finding out how they use their FiveFingers®. Engineering new products to match those needs certainly keeps us on our toes.
