How Salomon went from the slopes to the streets

When you have hiking at 2 and a high-key scene event at a new pop-up opening in Soho at 4.

Salomon's got you covered.

But how did the shoe company go from French ski brand to StockX’s fastest growing footwear brand?

Salomon's journey is an intriguing case of how a family business born from post-World War II craftsmanship evolved into a cult Gorpcore sneaker brand. A brand adored by the likes of Rihanna, Bella Hadid and Hailey Bieber.

Salomon's story begins in Old Annecy, 1947.

François Salomon and his son opened a workshop for crafting wood saws near the French Alps. As skiing became increasingly popular after the war, Salomon catered to the boom by switching to making ski equipment.

Georges Salomon, François's son, transformed ski edge manufacturing with the 'skade.' He introduced a safety toe piece and the first binding called 'the Lift,' replacing the traditional leather straps.

In the 70s, the brand dominated the ski gear market.

And in 2001, Salomon diversified into hiking. The brand launched some of their most popular shoes, like the trail running-inspired XT-6 and the Speedcross.

A shoe that became ubiquitous on mountain trails.

A shoe that would later become the peak of a streetwear fashion movement called gorpcore.

Sorry, but wtf is gorpcore?

The term's named after the colloquial term for trail mix--Good Ol’ Raisins and Peanuts. Coined by Jason Chen in 2017 for The Cut, Gorpcore is a style focused around wearing utilitarian, functional, outdoors-inspired gear.

Think, colourful tones like orange, green, red, or blue. Boxy cuts and wide-legged utilitarian pants made from lightweight fabrics with multiple pockets. Fleece mid-layers (like a classic Patagonia pullover), down-filled puffer jackets and ripstop rain jackets.

If none of that made any sense to you, congratulations, you're normal.

If you’re a fashion freak like me, you get the gist.

Brands in this space include The North Face, Arc’teryx, Teva, Snow Peak, Patagonia and of course, our lovely Salomons.

But the brand’s pivot towards fashion was not exactly of its own doing.

In fact, many viewed it with befuddled amusement. Why was a heritage mountaineering brand in directional boutiques like The Broken Arm?

2014 was the year that the Speedcross reached peak popularity in the world of hiking. It’s also the year the shoe made an unexpected appearance at The Broken Arm, a meticulously curated Parisian boutique.

Romain Joste and Guillaume Steinmetz, two of the partners of the revered store, told GQ Style they were keen trail runners themselves. Because of this, they loved the Speedcross.

To them, the brand was a fit for the store because Salomon 'first [thinks] about function and materials, and sometimes it creates something stronger in terms of aesthetic than if you try to think of aesthetic first.'

And this is when Salomon made the right move.

Like the shift from saw blades to ski blades in the French Alps, the brand jumped on the opportunities the fashion world presented to them. By 2015, Salomon and The Broken Arm were working on a collaboration.

While other collabs were in the works, this is the one that marked Salomon's true entry into the fashion realm.

And their timing was perfect, as noted by Highsnobiety. 'Technical footwear and…functionality-driven fashion has gained quite some momentum in recent years...from Acronym [and] Aether to the relaunch of Nike ACG.'

After many collaborations, new designs, and further fashion efforts, Salomon was being stocked on high-fashion e-comm giant Ssense and seen paraded down runways.

The brand then surpassed $1 billion in revenue in 2022.

Was this truly a stumble into the fashion realm?

Or did the brand's marketers have a keen eye for opportunity to pivot their brand positioning?

Methinks the latter.

Last year, the brand worked with DDB Paris to speak to their new audience and to craft a new mission and identity.

'Going forward, we aim to inspire a wider, younger audience to connect with the outdoors. But Salomon is first and foremost a performance sports brand,' says Salomon President and CEO Franco Fogliato, an avid trail runner and skier himself.

Salomon's new signature tagline, 'Tomorrow is Yours,' comes from Georges Salomon, who once said, 'What fascinates me the most is what I’m going to invent tomorrow!'

Celebrity endorsements? Check. I mean cheque.

Many cultural icons have embraced the brand with open arms and sturdy legs. And this has helped it become more mainstream.

But none have embraced it like Rihanna, who wore the pink and red Salomon X Maison Margiela MM6 during her Super Bowl Half-time Show performance.

Directly after the show, the footwear brand experienced a staggering 4,000% surge in online searches, leading to a rapid sell-out of the shoe.

Over the years, Salomon has partnered with many brands to create special capsules. Brands like Palace, Avnier, COMME des GARÇONS, Hidden NY, Carhartt WIP, MM6, Sandy Liang, and Madhappy.

So what’s next for Salomon?

The brand recently invested some big shmoney into their new campaign, ‘Welcome Back to Earth,’ in a bid to capture yet another audience.

The campaign tells the story of a young female runner in the city who breaks through to run in the mountains.

According to The Drum, Salomon has discovered the 'untapped potential' of targeting people who want to be outside more. People whose reasons for doing sport are about health, wellness and the community. He says, 'That is a consumer we haven’t spoken to before.'

'It couldn’t come across to our core customers as fake or phony, but at the same time, it needed to offer an invitation to hundreds of millions of new consumers who don’t know Salomon.'

Like I said, Salomon's journey into fashion icon was not an accident.

Their successful pivot story was one of diversification, collaboration, and culture.

Three takeaways:

• Embrace market shifts. Salomon diversified from saws to ski gear, then pivoted again to popular culture. This adaptability speaks to their ability to respond to market changes. When you diversify your product lines to meet new customers’ demands, you can open up significant growth opportunities and ensure longevity.

• Use strategic collaborations. Partnering with influential boutiques and designers played a crucial role in Salomon's entry into fashion. Thoughtful collaborations like this can enhance your brand's visibility in new markets. And this can lead to a broader and more diverse audience.

• Capitalise on culture and trends. Salomon's rise in popularity was bolstered by the Gorpcore trend and high-profile endorsements like Rihanna. Staying attuned to what’s happening within the culture around you and leveraging this is almost a guarantee to boost consumer interest and demand.

I will also say, Salomon did not get this far without an incredible product. Their shoes are fabulously comfortable and totally practical for everyday life.

While also looking slick as hell.

-Sophie, Writer