Vibram S.p.A.

In 1935, the deaths of six of Vitale Bramani's mountaineering friends in the Italian Alps was partly blamed on inadequate footwear. The tragedy drove Bramani to develop a new climbing sole. Two years later, he patented his invention and launched the first rubber lug soles on the market under the name “Carrarmato”, with the financial backing of Leopoldo Pirelli of Pirelli tires. The sole was designed to provide excellent traction on the widest range of surfaces, have a high degree of abrasion resistance and was made using the latest vulcanized rubber of the time.

Today, Vibram soles are manufactured in Brazil, China, Italy and the United States, and are used by more than 1,000 footwear manufacturers in their footwear products.

Vibram is well known for pioneering the barefoot running movement with the “FiveFingers” line of shoes that mimic the look and mechanics of being barefoot.

Vibram produces numerous models of soles specifically designed for fashion, military, rescue, law enforcement or industrial use.