Vibram USA takes master cobbler on the road
28/02/2018
The initiative sees Vibram take a customised, mobile cobbler unit on the road to locations across the US. The unit includes a repair shop and outsole showroom. It is manned by Vibram’s master cobbler, Gino Conti, and his assistants, who examine shoes onsite and upgrade them with Vibram soles while customers wait.
“Vibram’s Sole Factor Tour is currently scheduled to make stops in at least fifteen states with over fifty dates planned through Fall 2018,” explained Allon Cohne, chief marketing officer of Vibram USA. “Its goal is to raise awareness on the lost art of the shoe cobbler and offer the consumer a chance to customise, upgrade and repair current footwear with a better performing, more stylish outsole.”
The tour began in Charlotte, North Carolina on February 22. It will travel through a number of states before making its final stop in Lake Tahoe, California in September. Full details of the stops on the tour can be found here.
“The Vibram Sole Factor Tour encourages local customers to re-sole their favourite footwear as a net positive for sustainability efforts while also supporting local businesses,” Mr Cohne added.
For the 2018 edition of the Sole Factor Tour, Vibram will make available its Arctic Grip technology, which is specially designed to cope on icy surfaces. The company has described this technology as its “most advanced ever”. Vibram Megagrip, designed to offer grip on both wet and dry surfaces, will be the other Vibram product showcased during the tour.
Customers who can’t attend one of the tour events can upgrade their footwear online as part of the Vibram Sole Factor programme. Vibram has said it will return the customised shoes in two to four weeks, with no shipping charge.
Image courtesy of Vibram.
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