The women's Asolo Athena boot, showing the Vibram NS sole
Boots: you just pull ‘em on and get walking up that hill, right?
Well, not according to Italian brand Asolo, who told us about their new Natural Shape footwear.
Part poetry, part quantum mechanics, the information about this exclusive Vibram-based boot range makes for interesting reading.
The men’s Asolo Reston and women’s Athena both feature the NS Sole from specialist fellow Italian brand Vibram, whose familiar yellow octagon adorns thousands of boot soles across the globe.
The brands said: “Highly advanced, Vibram NS is the result of extensive research and testing in the field and – thanks to construction that combines performance, protection, and superior comfort – exalts the Natural Shape technology of Asolo, promising to overturn standards of comfort and performance traditionally associated with high-performance footwear.
“Vibram NS reflects the unique know-how of Vibram in the construction of high-performance in rubber soles.
“The structure is divided into four areas: stabilising pads, first propulsive area, second propulsive area and area of impact.
“The bi-colour rubber tread reflects the ergonomic principles of Natural Shape footwear, while the assertive and harmonious sculpting exalts the placement and propulsion phases.
“Lightness, balance and support are guaranteed by the midsole in thermo-formed EVA, realised with a latest generation compound.
“The central Asoflex Natural Shape insert in TPU is thermo-formed directly on the EVA midsole.”
The boots are certainly lightweight: the women’s version tips the scales at just 700g a pair, while the men’s are 890g.
The men's Reston model
Asolo said the boots, from their hiking range, incorporate the superior innovations of Natural Shape technology, combining the advantages of highly-advanced construction with those of the Vibram NS sole.
“The Natural Shape footwear concept revolutionises standards of comfort and performance that have been traditionally associated with high-technology footwear,” the brand said. “Asolo innovation is further improved thanks to the exclusive partnership with Vibram.
“The Natural Shape name defines the heart of the innovation itself: the shape of the shoe is redefined on the basis of the correct morphology of the foot, with a careful distribution of volume over the crucial areas.
“The result is a fluid and comfortable shoe, every inch of which supports the foot’s natural movement.”
The boots certainly look high-tech and come in coral/silver or wool/brown for the Athena, which retails at £140, and graphite/black or grey/Olympian blue for the Reston, which is a fiver dearer at £145.
More information about Vibram can be found on its website. Stockists of the two new models include Cotswold Outdoor. More details of the boots can be seen on the Asolo site.
