Vibram, the worldwide leader in performance soles and pioneer of the minimalist footwear movement, will open its first retail location focused on brand awareness. The store will be on Newbury Street in Boston, Massachusetts and will open Saturday, April 14. Mayor Thomas Menino will be attending the ribbon cutting at 12 pm and the grand opening will coincide with the Boston Marathon, complementing Vibram’s efforts as a supporter and exhibitor at the race.

“With this store we can provide our customers with a face-to-face brand experience for the first time, educating them about the world of Vibram, our partners and our products,” explained Tony Post, president and CEO of Vibram, USA.

httpv://youtu.be/eM3L02zR84M

Located in Concord, Mass., Vibram is renowned globally for designing soles for outdoor, recreational, work and fashion footwear and is relied on by the world’ s greatest climbers and athletes. In 2006 Vibram introduced its first finished product: Vibram FiveFingers , a revolutionary and patented glove-styled shoe.

The flagship location will feature “experience zones” throughout the floor allowing visitors to wear test FiveFingers on inlaid marbles, woodchips, grass, stones and even a bumpy yellow safety strip used in the subway. The store will also display an interactive timeline area summarizing the company’s 70 year legacy in sole design. Throughout the space it will showcase partners’ product on a themed, rotating basis. A “living wall” of plants will discreetly mask the register area, creating a private checkout experience. The ambiance and vibe of the flagship store is a direct reflection of Vibram’s outdoor and Italian heritage, with natural materials, complimentary espresso and historic brand items. The space will offer select models of Vibram FiveFingers as well as a few models only sold in Europe.

“We consider this more of a destination than a store,” explained Post. “We want visitors to relax, explore and hopefully learn something about Vibram as a brand and a company. We also see it as a way to support our soling partners located on Newbury Street.”

Vibram is recognized worldwide as the leader in high performance soles for outdoor, recreational, work and fashion footwear and is relied on by the world’ s greatest climbers and athletes. In 2006, Vibram introduced its first finished product: Vibram FiveFingers , a revolutionary and patented glove-styled shoe, an unrivaled alternative to conventional footwear.

Recognizing the company’s pioneering efforts in minimalist footwear, Time magazine named Vibram FiveFingers one of the best inventions of 2007 in the category of health. The company is committed to promoting and confirming the health benefits of near barefoot or natural running and fitness training, and views this as a unique opportunity to help redefine athletic footwear. Vibram soles have set the standard since Vitale Bramani created mountaineering’s first rubber lugged sole in the late 1930’s. Vibram soles have gone on to conquer Mt. Everest, K2 and a host of the world’s tallest peaks. Today, the company works with premium brands including Danner, La Sportiva, Lowa, Merrell, Red Wing, Scarpa, The North Face, Timberland, Vasque, Wolverine and many more. Visit Vibram at vibram.com or vibramfivefingers.com.

photo: Vibram USA