Swedish footwear maker Haglöfs will use moldable footbeds made by Sole in its entire spring 2009 line, marking the first such deal for SOLE, which has grown primarily in the aftermarket. Haglöfs – Scandinavias largest outdoor manufacturer – will include SOLE footbeds in its line of technical trekking boots, lightweight hikers and approach shoes.
“Most of todays performance footwear neglects the customers immediate contact with the foot by only including a cheap, unsupportive sock liner,” states SOLE President, Mike Baker. “We worked closely with Haglöfs to develop a product that will significantly increase the comfort, fit and support of their shoes, at the same time creating a compelling value proposition to the consumer and a strong competitive advantage for Haglöfs.”
SOLE, which has become a worldwide leader in after-market, custom moldable footbeds, has built a product optimized for Haglöfs footwear. The Haglöfs footbed will have an orthopedic shape that supports the foot from toe to heel. An integrated arch will prevent over-pronation and a deep heel cup stabilizes the foot in the shoe and reinforces the heels natural shock absorbing ability. Haglöfs customers will have the option to custom heat-mold their footbed with a simple toaster oven, or the footbeds will conform to the users feet over time.
Richard Jagrud, footwear manager for Haglöfs comments, “adding a premium footbed component like SOLE to our footwear enhances the consumer experience in terms of fit and comfort. The response to the inclusion of the SOLE footbed has been very positive.”
