excerpts from VIBRAM press information kit
 |
| VItale BRAMani |
For more than 75 years, Vibram has been a trusted leader in performance and innovation in the realm of footwear. Its revolutionary and visionary founder, Italian mountaineer Vitale Bramani, whose name the footwear now carries, foresaw the need for grip, traction and durability on performance shoes and developed the first rubber sole on a mountaineering boot.
This commitment to safety continued in the brand’s quest for the perfect footwear in decades to come, and years of research and the production of millions of soles for the best shoes in the industry led Vibram to its next milestone. In 2005, Vibram introduced the next generation of innovative performance sole design: one that allows the foot to move and work naturally, as if barefoot: Vibram FiveFingers.
Vibram FiveFingers challenges the paradigm of conventional footwear. The thin, flexible, and deconstructed sole allows the foot to curl and flex as nature intended. The five toes are separate just like our feet! Because of these features, every step taken in FiveFingers is a lesson in texture, temperature, and biomechanics that can make us healthier and more connected to our bodies.
Unconventional Footwear with Benefits
A special kind of footwear that can be used for athletic and non-athletic use, Vibram FiveFingers is known for its corrective and therapeutic qualities that no ordinary shoes or sandals can give.
Vibram FiveFingers is different than any other footwear on the planet. Here are five reasons to wear or train in Vibram FiveFingers:
- Strengthens Muscles in the Feet and Lower Legs
- Improves Range of Motion in Ankles, Feet and Toes
- Stimulates Neural Function Important to Balance and Agility
- Eliminates Heel Lift to Align the Spine and Improve Posture
- Allows the Foot and Body to Move Naturally
When it first came out in 2005, its unconventional features were contested by its critics, debunking the many corrective and therapeutic qualities that conventional footwear are not known to offer. Even its first users thought it uncanny to wear something that resembles their very own feet. However, the unease turned to familiarity, and over the next few years, more and more people took to Vibram FiveFingers as an alternative to conventional shoes and sandals. Soon enough, the unconventional footwear became not only a standard, but a highly recommended choice by the prestigious Time Magazine, which considered it one of the Best Inventions of 2007.
Love Your Feet: Vibram’s 2012 Collection
Explore the joys of natural movement in authentic footwear from the company that started the barefooting revolution. Its newest collection takes pride in the latest innovations that it has incorporated in its models, a tradition that it continued doing for almost 80 years. In the Philippines, Vibram has found a growing market for its footwear for men and women of all ages, and it is launching its newest Spring/Summer 2012 offerings with much anticipation. Like its previous models, all its latest products carry a unique patented Vibram TC-1 performance rubber, which delivers excellent “foot feel” without compromising abrasion resistance. They are also are machine-washable and air-dry.
A fashionable take on the FiveFingers Classic, the Classic Fresca for women runners adds an element of style to the model that propelled the brand. Designed for barefoot balance and agility, it has a lightweight, stretch upper with a back pull-tab that allows you to cinch the topline for an adjustable, secure fit. A hook-and-loop closure holds the tab in place. Durable printing on the toes, sides and heel provides added protection and abrasion resistance. The Vibram performance outsole with serrated blade lug design provides flexibility, durability and optimum traction. The Classic Fresca sole has a Polyurethane reinforced pocket on the big toe for added durability and protection, and a serrated blade lug design that provides flexibility and traction on wet surfaces. It is available in grape/grey/white and grey/blue/white colors.
Unlike any running shoe on the market today, the FiveFingers Bikila was the first model designed specifically for a more natural, healthy and efficient forefoot strike. Built on an entirely new platform, the Bikila offers more plating protection, and distributes forefoot impact without compromising important ground feedback essential to a proper forefoot strike running form. Athletic padded collar and topline and a single hook-and-loop closure finish off this breakthrough design.
Bikila’s tread design for the soles offers more traction over a variety of surfaces, while its EVA arch follows the contour of the foot and reduces weight. Among its features are a 4 mm anatomical pod outsole design that distributes forefoot impact forces without compromising important ground feedback essential to a proper forefoot strike running form, and 3 mm Dri-Lex covered polyurethane footbed for more plating protection and reduced packing over a sustained period of time. It is available in silver/black.
Following in the footsteps of the FiveFingers Bikila, the Bikila LS for women offers a closed speed lace system to accommodate a wider foot or higher instep. It shares the same revolutionary platform as the Bikila to provide superior plating protection and distributes forefoot impact without compromising essential ground feedback. The naturally breathable upper features an athletic padded collar and topline, and road-worthy, abrasion-resistant toe protection. It is available in red/grey black.
The first trail running-specific models, the Spyridon and Spyridon LS provide the perfect balance of “foot feel” and protection on rugged surfaces, as its soles have a stitched-in polyurethane insole that protects the skin and foot, and a molded nylon mesh in midsole that adds a “rock block” effect, dispersing impact over a wider area. A minimalist Vibram rubber sole with an aggressive tread design provides sure-footed grip in all directions and a 3.5 mm rubber sole that maximizes impact protection from stones and debris, while better allowing proper barefoot dynamics. Naturally breathable upper with an adjustable hook-and-loop closure ensures a secure fit. It is available in black/green for men and lilac/black/green for women.
Designed for an enhanced trail running experience, the new Spyridon LS offers a closed speed lace system to accommodate a wider foot or higher instep. The naturally breathable upper has an adjustable hook-and-loop closure for a secure fit, and a minimalist Vibram rubber sole with aggressive tread pattern allows proper barefoot dynamics and “foot feel,” while delivering protection on rugged surfaces. It is available in military green/grey/black for men.
Vibram is available at SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, Trinoma, Planet Sports (Rockwell, Vmall Greenhills, Newport and Glorietta) Tobys (Mall of Asia and Shangrila), Runnr (BHS, Trinoma and Ayala Center Cebu), ROX BHS, Urban Athletics Greenbelt and Chimes Davao.
