From Giuseppe Zamberlan to his nephews Marco and Maria, through Emilio: Calzaturificio Zamberlan celebrates 90 years of story, following its “Hand Made Philosophy” that represents the handcraft production and the elegance of its mountain boots.
23/05/2019
1929 – 2019: 90 years of Zamberlan mountain boots
2019 is not an usual year for Calzaturiticio Zamberlan®: indeed, the shoe factory based in Torrebelvicino celebrate its 90th anniversary. Giuseppe Zamberlan was a humble clobber with the great aim to improve hiking. So in 1929 founded Calzaturificio Zamberlan and started to collaborate with Vitale Bramani, mountaineer and Vibram® founder, creating the famous rubber sole, to increase grip of the shoes also on harsher paths. From that moment onwards, research and production didn’t stop and in the following years of the 1970s, Giuseppe’s son, Emilio, brought the brand to the attention of worldwide markets. Zamberlan is now known in over 45 different countries, becoming the favorite footwear of thousand mountaineers and globetrotters, who post their fabulous, scenic photos on social media, making a good promotion of Made In Italy. Chairing the company today is the third generation: brother and sister, Marco and Maria Zamberlan.
Zamberlan’s Handmade Philosophy
Pioneers in the construction of mountain and hiking boots, Zamberlan® has dominated the market for so long. In a very competitive market where fashion and icons change with the rhythm of emotions, Zamberlan’s construction knowledge has put down roots.
Their secret? A way to work, live and stay closer to the their clients which they call Handmade Philosophy. The history and the ‘philosophy’ behind the company is also the history of a family when it all began with Giuseppe Zamberlan in his small workshop full of leather, glues and his shoemaker’s tools. Zamberlan has set themselves the goal of creating the best possible product that improves the wearer’s life. Zamberlan’s mission mirrors the mentality of all those enthusiasts who appreciate performance, who enjoy the journey and not just the destination, who choose to share and not just to compete. Handmade Philosophy expresses Zamberlan style, but it is also an invitation to live with the unique rhythms of “handmade” products.
Zamberlan and its land: a 90 years old story in evolution
Zamberlan has its company headquarters and factory at the feet of the Piccole Dolomiti which is where it was founded. This is the place where ideas, designs, production and worldwide distribution come from. Looking out over the mountains which it calls home, this historic company has invested in its home territory, selecting men and women to specialize in handcrafted work that represents the excellence of made in Italy: artisan 2.0. This heritage will play a big part in the 90 year anniversary celebrations.
Zamberlan maintains the Made in Italy production
“In our 90 years of history” said Marco Zamberlan, company CEO, passionate mountaineer, inspirator of the products and innovator “we have always wanted to guarantee handmade/artisan values and always wanted to improve our products, especially on the technical side which has become our biggest strength. Behind every Zamberlan product there is a lengthy study of what makes a good fitting shoe, good traction and performance expectations from a shoe or boot. We only choose the very best leathers to guarantee maximum comfort, adaptability to the foot and durability over time. We work with Vibram® for our soles, masters of stitching and attention to detail. We constantly invest in technology and manufacturing processes so that we can combine innovation with our artisan methods: for example, the manual dexterity needed during the complex Norwegian construction methods has to work perfectly with the most modern techniques.”
Zamberlan, among tradition and evolution
“My grandfather Giuseppe was a humble clobber but the mountain haw always been his passion and inspired him. His dream was to satisfy hikers needs – said Maria Zamberlan, president of the company – so he started to collaborate with Vitale Bramani and created the rubber sole. My father Emilio has the foresight to look at market like Japan and USA. The Zamberlan family has been completely involved in the company from the very beginning. We live and breathe the business every day. During these last 90 years, we maintained the company and production facilities in the same town here in Italy. We did this out of a great respect for the territory and our craftsmen, with whom we have a long and close history.”
Zamberlan leather boots collection: a range for all altitudes, capabilities and objectives.
Mountaineering, trekking, approach and shoes and boots for everyday adventures, to enjoy the journey and not just the destination. Alpine. Wide open horizons and immaculate mountain peaks: all of Zamberlan’s experience goes into this range designed for those who love to go up high. Alpine is Zamberlan’s range that is best loved by expert mountaineers and people that require excellent performance from a boot even in extreme conditions. Each product in this range has been designed for mountaineering and high altitude excursions and even for icy conditions, ice climbing and dry-tooling. Designed to guarantee a precise fit, maximum sensitivity and high performance. Trekking. The Zamberlan backpacking range is well known and appreciated all over the world for its all leather and resoleable products. The range includes resistant and trustworthy boots made to withstand the most diverse weather conditions and terrain. They are all made with high performance soles to ensure optimum stability and support on various ground and all have high traction and excellent cushioning. They are prefect for those looking for comfort, performance, safety and stability. Approach. Technique and comfort for Approach and Via ferratas. The Zamberlan Approach range is a hybrid boot having characteristics taken from both mountaineering boots and climbing shoes. The main objective of this category is total comfort during mountain approach and Via ferratas. Trail Hiking. This range fulfils many expectations because it is ideal for long walks, excursions and even daily use. Zamberlan’s Trail Hiking collection includes very comfortable boots and shoes with lightweight soles that offer great cushioning without compromising stability and support. Lifestyle. All of Zamberlan’s manufacturing knowledge has gone into this ‘city’ line developed for travelling, strolling and sightseeing. The Lifestyle range was designed for those looking for a walking shoe with elevated technical design and characteristics, such as a very comfortable fit, good cushioning, breathability, waterproofness and all the beauty of handmade, top quality leather. Smart Hiking. 'Light and dynamic’ defines Zamberlan’s Smart Hiking range which was created by fusing constructive techniques typical to trekking, hiking, Nordic, walking and running. These are multifunctional and extremely versatile and are just perfect for different types of activity and terrain. They are light and comfortable with excellent adherence and stability. Kids. They might be little but they sure are powerful. We couldn’t leave children’s footwear out of our design portfolio so we created a range that guarantees comfort, fit and functionality, but also maximum protection. Made using high quality materials with a GORE-TEX lining, this range ensures a good fit specific to the smaller foot, stability and flexibility and overall comfort on longer excursions. Hunting. All the tradition and the knowledge in leather mountain boots construction, to produce hunting leather boots to satisfy also the most demanding hunters, in every weather condition and in every environment.