Vibram® Gains Ground With Environmentally Friendly Ecostep™

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Vibram® Gains Ground With Environmentally Friendly Ecostep™

Timberland and Burton Feature Vibram’s Recycled Soles

CONCORD, Mass., (August 10, 2006) – Vibram, the world’s leading producer of high performance soles, is enjoying the fruits of its conservation labors with the adoption of its eco-friendly compound by two outdoor industry pioneers. Timberland will feature Ecostep in its men’s Greenscapes collection and women’s Summer Park collection and Burton will highlight Ecostep in its Driver X snowboard boot.

Ecostep is a rubber compound formulated by using 30% recycled material from the outsole manufacturing process. It has long been used as an additive to asphalt, improving highway durability, and in children’s playgrounds making them safer. Now Vibram takes its recycling efforts one step further by incorporating their scrap into quality Vibram soles.

“Since its very beginnings as the world’s first lugged sole for mountaineering, Vibram has been linked to the outdoors in a special way, and the company is always searching for creative ways to respect nature, and minimize the environmental impact of its activities.” explained Vibram USA President Tony Post, who is a board member of the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA). “With Ecostep, we have found a way to continue our commitment to the outdoor conservation effort and still provide a high quality product to our customers.”

Timberland’s eco-friendly Greenscapes Mountain Sneaker is ideal for the mountain lifestyle. Featuring an exclusive Vibram Ecostep outsole, it retails for $90 for all-leather and $85 for hemp and leather.

The Summer Park Series for women is designed with natural materials for light hiking, travel and the mountain lifestyle. Also designed with a Vibram Ecostep outsole they retail for $80 for the lace-up, $75 for Mary Janes and $75 for the slip-on. All will be available in Spring 2007. In addition, the soles will be featured in Timberland’s new Winter Park collection, launching in fall 2006. In a range of styles for men and women, the Winter Park collection reflects the fusion of performance and lifestyle in an outdoor shoe.

Burton’s Driver X, an all-mountain freeride boot, features the Vibram Ecostep outsole, designed to deliver superior uphill and downhill traction. The sole addresses all of the key criteria of a high performance boot. In the toe there is a snow-cat inspired tread for uphill traction in backcountry and hard pack.

Driver X’s contrasting colored “Ice Spikes” enhance surface penetration. In the heel, the lugs’ sharp leading edges provide excellent downhill breaking. Along the binding, lugs are flat and wide for maximum stability. Broad spacing between lugs improves snow release and reduces weight. Lug shape, size and position, and compound choice were all balanced to provide the highest level of durability.

Vibram® is recognized worldwide as the leader in high performance soles for outdoor, recreational, and work 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 established brands including Danner, La Sportiva, Lowa, Merrell, Montrail, Timberland, Red Wing, Scarpa, Vasque, Wolverine and many more. For further information, visit www.vibram.com
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