Magazine B – Issue 22: Vibram

Magazine B is an ad-less monthly publication that introduces one well-balanced brand unearthed from around the globe in each issue. between its covers, Magazine B not only shares untold stories behind the brand but also its sentiment and culture that any readers interested in brand marketing and management can leaf through with ease.

In 1937, after his friends died in a tragic mountaineering accident partly caused by poor footwear, Vitale Bramani started Vibram to create more functional outsoles. Vibram has striven since that time to develop new products for people on their feet. In 2005, the Italian company introduced its first finished product line, FiveFingers, showing how a component manufacturer can itself become a brand.

CONTENT

02 INTRO
The founder of Vibram realized the need for high performance shoes and soles after a painful experience of losing his friends during an Alpine expedition. Seventy years have passed, and we look into the foundation of the brand as we climb steep mountains.

28 HEADQUARTERS
The Vibram headquarters is still located in the northern Italian city of Albizzate, Varese, where the first Vibram factory was built in 1945. B visited the headquarters to observe the entire production process firsthand, from material development to manufacturing, and take a look at Vibram’s most famous soles by category.

50 COLLABORATION
Vibram soles contribute greatly to the function and style of a shoe. This section introduces the outdoor and casual shoe brands that use Vibram soles.

62 BRAND TO BRAND
We asked Vibram users to show us their shoes and talk about their idea of functional footwear.

72 FIVEFINGERS
FiveFingers is Vibram’s first finished product brand. Also known as “barefoot shoes,” FiveFingers is set apart from other sports shoes by how they are chosen and worn.

76 MINIMALIST SHOES
Barefoot shoes minimalize the cushion and bridge to give users an experience similar to walking barefoot. This is the minimalist shoe concept that has been adopted by many running shoe brands.

81 B’S CUT
A shoe’s sole is a record of the ground it has crossed.

96 BRAND STORY
Vibram earned the trust of its customers by focusing on one item for 70 years, but that does not mean it was afraid of change. This section takes a look at Vibram’s past and present and examines how the company has grown.

116 OUTRO
Every day, we walk from one place to another. The value of Vibram is felt at every walking moment.