How to resole your own city shoes, for free and with natural materials

Reservations are open from 15 to 31 March to resole your urban shoes with the N-Oil compound, one of Vibram's latest innovations.

Performance can, indeed must, go hand in hand with sustainability.It's the philosophy of Vibram, leader in the production of rubber soles for sports shoes.For several years the company has wanted to give consumers the opportunity to have your shoes resoled, to personalize them and make them live longer.If until now this possibility was known mainly to athletes and outdoor enthusiasts, it now extends its boundaries to a more urban world.

A new stage for the Sole Factor Mobile Lab

It was June 2015 when Vibram presented the project Sole Factor in a Milan in the midst of the Expo frenzy.Anyone could bring their shoes to an impressive 110 square meter truck, where a team of designers and technicians recommended the most suitable Vibram sole and expert shoemakers applied it using latest generation machinery and materials.In less than 24 hours the shoes, transformed and personalized, were ready to begin their new life.After its debut in the Lombardy capital, Sole Factor traveled throughout Europe, stopping at key outdoor events and fairs to introduce and test the best Vibram technologies to consumers.

With the pandemic the laboratory did not stop but reinvented itself in a digital way with the Virtual Sole Factor Mobile Lab.To participate, simply register on the platform Vibram Testerplace.Once the request has been received, the Vibram team of experts contacts the customer again to listen to their needs and evaluate the technical feasibility of resoling.Then the shoes are collected by a courier, renewed and finally returned.The entire operation is free;the customer's sole, but very important, task is to make his impressions known through a questionnaire.

Vibram N-Oil compound, ideal for city shoes for traveling and everyday wear

After the success of the autumn 2020 events dedicated to mountain bike and trail running enthusiasts with Megagrip Litebase technology, applications are open from Monday 15th to Wednesday 31st March 2021 for the city ​​shoes.This occasion will virtually bring the Vibram truck into the urban world, offering the footwear customization service to a more mainstream audience.Places are limited, but those who are unable to access the service will still receive a discount voucher valid for personalizing their shoes in a specialized point of sale.

For sneakers, boots And Derby shoes you can choose between different types of soles made in the N-Oil mix, one of the latest innovations from Vibram.Its grip and performance characteristics, in fact, make it particularly suitable for everyday life, walks or other light outdoor activities.All this with an eye to environmental sustainability, given that the rubber is made with over 90 percent natural ingredients, free of petroleum.“Of particular importance are the pigments extracted from plants without the use of solvents or chemicals,” he explains Chiara Versari, from Vibram's research and development department.“Or it is the plant itself that is dried, shredded and then used.We used madder, reseda and indigo and, as processing waste, charcoal".Natural ingredients rediscovered and reinterpreted through technology, to raise the quality level of the soles and lighten their environmental impact.