Everything moved within the teeming landscape of Chamonix, electrified by the epic sporting current of UTMB. And everything moved around and within Casa Vibram. The starting point was the body, its expression, and the infinite possibilities for exploration contained within this innate human matrix. The destination was nature’s own score: the place where physical gesture reaches its fullest expression, and encounters its original reason for being.

A constant motion, at once individual and relational, shaped by the intersections between Vibram and the kindred realities within its orbit—as with Vibram FiveFingers—or its established partners. Among them, Kailas, which invited participants to test the Fuga FX Pro, itself developed in partnership with Vibram. Connections that, throughout their respective activations, revealed themselves through shared cultural, communal, technological and even artistic currents. And that continue to find manifold expressions through their relationship with nature and movement.

Giving voice to these intersections are two exceptional perspectives: Abby Bucknall, Head of Global Marketing at Vibram FiveFingers, and Nina Sun, Brand Director at Kailas FUGA.

Abby Bucknall – Vibram FiveFingers Head of Global Marketing

Casa Vibram allowed us to return to the origins of Vibram FiveFingers while tracing its evolution over time. Which of the brand’s founding principles have remained embedded in its contemporary direction? And what have the body and its movement represented—and what do they continue to represent—for FiveFingers?

“If we go back to the original conception of FiveFingers, Robert Fliri’s idea was born in the mountains. So, for Vibram FiveFingers, it felt particularly meaningful to be in Chamonix: this is where the concept is rooted, where it comes from. Robert always used to say, ‘Your body likes to play.’ And that is really the essence of it. You experience that most vividly in a natural environment, because you are constantly encountering stones, rocks and changing terrain: elements that naturally invite the foot to move and respond in different ways. That is why being in Chamonix was so important to us. Twenty-four years later, we want people to understand that we are still rooted in that original idea. At Casa Vibram, there was another dimension we wanted to explore as well: the relationship between movement and training in the gym. The importance of training your feet, of becoming more connected with your body through movement and allowing it to perform more effectively. I wouldn’t necessarily describe it simply in terms of becoming ‘stronger’, because that isn’t quite what we mean. It is about developing what the body is capable of through movement. Those, ultimately, are the two dimensions at the heart of our philosophy: exploring and savouring nature, and training in the gym. Two different environments through which we can continue to explore the body and the way it moves.”

We experienced Forest Bathing and Exploration in the mountains surrounding Casa Vibram. During UTMB week, when the pursuit of physical performance acquires an unusually intimate relationship with the natural environment, what different kind of dialogue with the elements—and with the terrain above all—did Vibram FiveFingers seek to encourage? And what led you to bring Vibram FiveFingers into a sporting context traditionally associated with such extreme expressions of performance?

“For us, Forest Bathing was an opportunity for people to reground themselves in nature: to take a moment to breathe. And I think that is something Vibram FiveFingers represents even within a performance context. It is about being with yourself, while also experiencing that connection as part of a community. You may all be there together, but what you feel remains deeply individual, because it comes down to how you move, how you feel, how you step. That is precisely why we wanted to create this moment of calm in the midst of everything happening here. We also explored sound through Robert Fliri’s voice and through music, and looking at how those elements can deepen the experience even further. Ultimately, it is about bringing that sensorial exploration to its fullest expression.”

The experience also incorporated an immersive listening session, adding another artistic dimension to the FiveFingers universe. How does art—understood in its broadest sense, across different practices and forms of expression—inform the creative vision of Vibram FiveFingers? And how important is this cross-pollination in imagining what the product can become beyond its purely functional dimension?

“The very fact that Vibram FiveFingers has five individual toes already gives it an artistic dimension. It reflects our body, our human form. From there, I tend to think about it through the senses. There is sight—the immediate visual presence of the toes—and then there is sound: the sound the shoe makes against the ground, the crunch beneath your feet, the way your toes move. All of that can connect directly to music. And then there is taste, if we think of it within that broader sensorial spectrum. To me, all of this enters the realm of art. So the question becomes: how do we bring all these elements together within the FiveFingers universe? Because Vibram FiveFingers is not simply a product. It is a universe in itself. There is an entire FiveFingers culture around it. Once you enter that world, once you put your foot into your first pair, there is something almost childlike about the experience. You feel like a child playing again. And that is a beautiful thing.”

Throughout Casa Vibram, tradition and heritage seemed to feed into a trajectory that remains in constant evolution, driven by experimentation, technological progress and new possibilities. Vibram FiveFingers itself feels like a particularly clear expression of this approach. Looking forward, what territories—creative, technological or experiential—do you believe Vibram FiveFingers has yet to explore?

“I think we are moving into the wellness space. The more we think about FiveFingers and where it can go next, the more we are beginning to see it not as a shoe, but as a sensorial interface. As a second skin. So, how can we carry that heritage, and the pure foundations of FiveFingers, into the future? How can it become increasingly one with you, on every level? I think that is where much of our future potential lies: exploring that relationship further and making FiveFingers feel ever more seamlessly connected to the body.”

Nina Sun – Kailas FUGA Brand Director

Vibram was born out of climbing and Vitale Bramani’s way of understanding it. Over time, it has broadened its vision to encompass many other disciplines, trail running above all, as demonstrated by its strong presence at UTMB. Your journey is similar in this respect. Starting from this understanding, could you tell us some of the foundational facts and milestones in Kailas’ history with Vibram and about its relationship with the sporting imagination?

“To understand the foundation of this relationship, and where everything began for Kailas, we have to start with our founder, Baggio Zhong. When he was young, he was deeply involved in sport. He was a mountaineer, a cyclist and a track runner, and he also competed in motocross, winning different championships. And he was an engineer. After finding success with his previous business, he decided to turn towards what he truly loved: sport. At the time, outdoor culture in China was still relatively small, with very few people practising these activities, but he could already see its potential. So, at the age of twenty-five, he founded Kailas. Mountaineering was the natural starting point. He had already climbed several major peaks at around 7,000 metres, and that experience shaped the original focus of the brand. Not long afterwards, Kailas reached Everest. Then something began to change. Many of the mountaineers around us started running, and we started paying attention. We also sent a team to UTMB around 2006, because something new was emerging. That eventually led to the idea of developing trail running in China. We have an extraordinary abundance of mountains and, of course, an enormous population, so we could see the potential. Around 2011, our founder began thinking seriously about this direction. Then, in 2013, he suffered a very serious skiing accident, but that never stopped him from pursuing sport. Around that same period, we began to approach trail-running footwear much more seriously. A couple of years later, Vibram introduced us to a new compound: Vibram Megagrip. That became the foundation for the first Fuga. From there came Fuga Pro, followed by the EX and G series, and the concept continued to evolve into the wider footwear system we have today. So when we look at where Kailas and Vibram are now, this relationship has grown through that shared trajectory: from the mountains, through technical experimentation, and into the evolution of trail running itself.”

Casa Vibram looked like a place of encounter, history and evolution. With what spirit did Kailas decide to bring together its Chinese roots with Vibram’s Italian roots, as well as its own ethos with that of the yellow octagon? And how does the Fuga EX Pro we tested embody this union?

“First of all, I think there is a very genuine friendship behind the relationship. The people leading the two companies are friends, and they share a similar mindset. They are both extremely creative, very imaginative, and always eager to try something new. When they get together, they might sit down, exchange ideas and suddenly say, ‘Let’s do this. Let’s try that.’ There is a real creative energy between them. At the same time, they are both incredibly meticulous when it comes to products. You could almost call them product nerds: they pay enormous attention to every detail, constantly asking why something has been designed in a particular way and how it could be improved. They have a deep knowledge of materials, so their conversations naturally turn towards the future: what the next shoe could be, how materials could evolve, and what kind of product we should be creating next. There is also a very practical proximity between Kailas and Vibram. Vibram’s centre is only around twenty kilometres away from us, so there is constant communication between the two sides. The Fuga EX Pro is a clear expression of that relationship, combining technologies such as Vibram Litebase for lightness and Vibram Megagrip for grip in extreme conditions with a highly specific traction design. In the mountains, grip is fundamental. It provides security, but it also helps conserve energy. The same attention extends to stability and injury prevention. That is why every part of the outsole answers a specific need. The shoe was originally conceived for elite athletes, but through testing we discovered that these solutions could benefit runners at other levels as well. That is ultimately what this collaboration is about: translating a precise understanding of movement, terrain and materials into technology that genuinely helps people move through the mountains.”

Alongside UTMB, you decided to create an activation that allowed many people to ‘Read the Mountain,’ particularly the landscapes of Mont Blanc. Why did you decide to celebrate your partnership with Vibram through geological exploration and discovery?

“I think it came very naturally, because we both come from the mountains. Kailas and Vibram share a profound connection with that environment, and it is also one of the things that connects us to each other. So the idea felt almost inevitable: we come from the mountains, we share that bond, why not explore it together? Beyond that, we are extremely close business partners. I would describe Kailas and Vibram as strategic partners on a global level, across many different dimensions. In that sense, this collaboration simply feels meant to be.”

As with Vibram, your philosophical core also reveals a direct relationship with sport: passion, a constant drive towards technological progress, and a cultural dimension, demonstrated even by your very name… In light of this, how does Kailas interpret outdoor life and its sporting imagination? And how do you understand the relationship with the elements and changing weather conditions?

“I think we first have to ask why people go outdoors at all. Out there, you encounter every kind of challenge: storms, snow, heavy rain, the possibility of getting lost, of running short of food, of finding yourself without shelter. You expose yourself to the elements and, sometimes, to genuine danger. People climb Everest, travel towards the North and South Poles, and continue to seek out these extreme environments. Why do we do it? Because we are who we are. We just go. The reason is very simple: we belong to nature. Human beings have spent millions of years living within it, while the history of our lives in modern cities is comparatively short. There is still something within us that draws us back to the wild. That becomes particularly meaningful today. In China, we have enormous cities with populations of more than twenty million people, and much of everyday life takes place in front of screens: your phone, your computer, one screen after another. It is easy to feel overwhelmed or to lose your sense of direction. Nature gives you an opportunity to return to yourself, to look outward again and encounter the physical world directly. There is a call from nature, and I think people still feel it. But there is another dimension as well. Human progress has always depended on the desire to explore, to challenge ourselves and to move towards the unknown. It is the same impulse that has taken us across the planet and eventually towards the Moon and beyond. Without that spirit of exploration, humanity would never have developed in the way it has. Trail running offers a particularly immediate way of experiencing that impulse. You need relatively little: a pair of shoes, a vest, some essential supplies, and within a morning you can travel dozens of kilometres through the mountains and still come back to share lunch with your friends. In that sense, it fits remarkably well into contemporary life. I think more and more people will discover the sport in this way. Our responsibility is to help them experience it safely and enjoyably. The elements will always be there: that is part of what draws us outdoors in the first place. What technology can do is help us meet them.”