GREATEST: Lawrence Anastasi of Vibram
Inside the making of more than 80 years of footwear heritage with the storied Italian brand.
The company was founded by Vitale Bramani, who created his original footwear tread design in response to a mountaineering need for outstanding traction and abrasion resistance. Bramani eventually patented his rubber lug-sole, called the Carrarmato design, which replaced the leather footing and steel cleats that were standard at the time. With product innovation designed to withstand conditions across a wide range of outdoor surfaces, Vibram has been committed to performance-motivated value for more than 80 years.
Vibram’s rich history makes it an unconventional business success story. Dedicated to technology and innovation, the company continues to invent soling compounds and footwear upper designs that build on its expanding product pipeline—but it is Vibram’s ability to further establish awareness through cobranded projects that is its unparalleled market advantage. Vibram’s appeal transcends sports and the outdoors: For the past 20 years, it has been tapped by some of the most celebrated and influential fashion brands.
I became familiar with Vibram in 2006 through its collaboration with Nom de Guerre, a New York City retail and fashion brand. Nom de Guerre sold a collection of Russell Moccasins with a Vibram outsole that introduced me to the utilitarian appeal of hybrid product—when done right. Vibram’s high-profile fashion collaborations also include projects with Swedish label Our Legacy; the arbiter of Japanese craftsmanship Visvim; the iconic, high-end luxury powerhouse Prada; and OFF-WHITE c/o Virgil Abloh. As fashion continues to adopt an unorthodox trend appreciation, Vibram pushes innovation with unique product executions that bridge streetwear, couture and technology.
I spoke to Lawrence Anastasi, Vibram’s US Director of Sales for Lifestyle and Outdoor, to hear firsthand how the company approaches the connection between high performance and high luxury, and how this Italian-born brand has been able to maintain its leadership position.
The Vibram brand appeals to a broad consumer audience, and for a wide range of purposes—for sport performance, fashion lifestyle wearability and anywhere in between. Has this impacted the brand’s mission and purpose from five years ago?
I would say no. The mission of the brand is to deliver the best soles on Earth, to create high-performance and innovative product that improves the user’s experience. One of the things that might have changed in the last five years is the increased interest in Vibram products in the fashion world. We continue to focus on innovation, and what’s happening from an evolutionary standpoint is that brands are using Vibram to confer authenticity across their respective footwear offerings. As designers look to differentiate and get creative with hybrid products that span across outdoor, military, lifestyle, athletic fashion and other niche areas within the industry, they are co-opting the Vibram reputation, which is built on performance. That has sort of been the defining style in many ways.
The fashion landscape has changed dramatically in terms of merging technology and innovation with fashion luxury. How does Vibram maintain the integrity of the brand’s core consumer base, while still exploring a more fashion-focused growth opportunity? How is this accomplished without alienating the Vibram loyalist?
I think we maintain the right balance. The efforts we make on the product side are driven around the improvement of extreme applications of our products. Whether that’s rock climbing, ultradistance trail running, mountaineering, et cetera, that’s what we are committed to and rooted in. The performance lens is what drives our product creation, research and development. We remain focused on the product needs of our constituents, but communicate and maintain a dialogue with fashion-forward leaders. And within the fashion realm, we ensure that performance quality is top of mind and of the utmost importance.
Vibram has penetrated the lifestyle and fashion market with ease, rather subtly. Was aligning with influential fashion labels an intentional brand strategy? Or do you attribute this to brands looking to partner with Vibram for innovation authentication?
I want to say it’s a little of both, but with the scale more tilted towards us continuing to develop performance product, and with fashion and lifestyle brands looking to us to complement what they hope to achieve. When you look at Vibram’s early beginnings, and as far back as the 1940s and 50s, we made product for casual wear and use, but we never intended to necessarily seek this potential out. We are looking to respond to trends in the market and to take advantage and be of service to our customers in that way, whether they’re looking for lifestyle or more fashion-oriented product.
There is something to be said for partnering with a company that has been in business for 80 years. That longevity and promise to quality are what brands value. It’s a mutual appreciation for craftsmanship and forward-thinking design that makes these partnerships authentic.
The efforts we make on the product side are driven around the improvement of extreme applications of our products. Whether that’s rock climbing, ultra-distance trail running, mountaineering, et cetera, that’s what we are committed to and rooted in.
How important are fashion collaborations to the brand, and is there a certain criterion for collaborative consideration?
We look to partner with brands who are striving to make original product and with a point of view. We want to work with brands who are unique and provoke the market a little— who have a “think outside the box” mentality. We value these collaborations tremendously, as they challenge us in our design and strategic thinking. These partnerships also provide us with an opportunity to appeal to potentially new customers and engage with the brand in a way they might not otherwise have. That validation, I think, helps bring more interest to the brand within the footwear industry. It’s extremely validating when we’re traveling to different markets and meeting with customers and we hear references to our collaborations with companies like Alyx or Suicoke. [They’ve] learned about the Vibram brand through these projects. We certainly want to make sure the door is open and that we network with the fashion community, as long as its rooted in performance.
How do you plan to position the brand in the future, and do you think this positioning target varies from brand perception?
We continue to be focused on innovation and performance, with style, and I don’t believe that’s wavering. We try to meet and serve the evolving needs of consumers, and most times that means we’re taking direct feedback from our consumer in order to best deliver on those needs. And other times, we definitely want to trust ourselves and our instinct—it’s our own creative ideas and process where we have flexibility in terms of changing the consumer conception of what they need.
My personal observation is that Vibram prescribes to a minimal marketing approach and relies more on word-of-mouth awareness and product credibility. Is this accurate? How does Vibram invest in consumer awareness and brand discovery?
What we effectively try to do is allow for the product to speak for itself. And yes, word of mouth is a huge part of it. The other aspect is the brands we choose to collaborate with—a representation of the most innovative and creative brands in the market. That validation is what helps us bring in more interest in the brand, among the footwear industry and across new consumers. However, when we launch a new technology, such as our Vibram Arctic Grip and Megagrip, which are two of our premium technologies in the performance world, we speak with a much larger marketing voice and invest in communication. Additionally, we just opened a consumer experience center in Boston, as we want to continue to connect with consumers through an intimate brick-and-mortar engagement opportunity. We want consumers to connect with our brand through unique retail experiences, creating a hub for community and collaboration. We have a similar one in Milan that we refer to as our Vibram Connection Lab—intended to be a space that invites the local community to participate with Vibram products and who have an interest in the recreational and sport activities we specialize in. We want to engage with people and also learn from them.
How rigorous is your research and development process?
We have research and development capabilities globally. We have our global headquarters in Italy, our US headquarters located in Massachusetts and our APAC offices in China, completely staffed to work with new ideas in all three areas. What we try to do is use our internal expertise, and then research the market of new ideas, materials and new, evolving user needs—and bring that all together in the research that we do. It’s extremely rigorous and truly captures a global point of view. Our research needs extend in a multitude of meaningful ways, whether its raw materials suppliers or biochemical exploration with different entities and universities. We also cannot forget to mention the connection we have with athletes and the value and commitment we have to athlete and performance feedback. We consolidate all of that information into new products.
Whenever we launch any new technology, there is an undercurrent of heritage and history, but our primary message is around innovation in the present day and in the future.
LAWRENCE ANASTASI
Product marketing is generally considered to be a symbiotic blend of art and science. When Vibram decides to introduce something new, how do you prioritize the messaging hierarchy between trend and performance benefits?
We strive to make every product as aesthetically pleasing as possible, and certainly hope that’s where the artful side of our marketing campaigns are most prevalent. But we are driven to performance, and it’s important for us to index heavier on the side of measurable benefits, wherever we can.
You’ve been with Vibram for 19 years, which is a huge testament to the passion and love you have for the brand. What brought you to the company, and what continues to motivate you?
I’m passionate about cycling, snowboarding and crosscountry skiing, with an overall appreciation of the outdoors. I was attracted to the brand because of the performance association. I truly enjoy working with like-minded people to develop products that improve our ability in doing what we’re passionate about, and this is the best place to do that. This is a sizable company with a small-company mentality. Everyone has an opportunity to contribute, regardless of their role. The culture of the company is that a good idea can come from anyone, so I get to work in a creative way, with a broad application.
How important is it for Vibram to tell the heritage and storied history of the brand?
I think it’s important to reinforce our history and the inception of the brand because of the length of time we have been leading the market. Being in business for this long speaks to our authenticity and our consistency as a leader of performance product. We like to tell our story as it certainly adds value to the brands that use Vibram, and that resonates with a lot of consumers. But the balance is that we’re continuing to innovate and look towards the future for the ever-evolving needs of the consumer. Whenever we launch a new technology, there is an undercurrent of heritage and history, but our primary message is around innovation in the present day and in the future.
What does the Vibram logo represent to you? When consumers see that iconic yellow emblem, what should that be synonymous with?
I think it all just really boils down to quality. We try to leave people with the impression that Vibram soles are the best. This is product that will enable you to perform better, that will provide you with safety. When you see the Vibram branded icon, it means you’re getting quality and durability.
INTERVIEW BY Samantha Goretski
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Tony Luong