How Salomon unintentionally became a fashion brand

The back story of how a French ski company wound up designing some of the most sought-after shoes in fashion

It’s all in the details

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How Salomon unintentionally became a fashion brand

Salomon has undoubtedly become one of the most popular shoes in the footwear market over the last 5 years.

But the question of how they got here is more interesting to unpack.

Today we’ll dive into how a family business went from making ski gear after World War II to designing some of the most well-known footwear being repurposed fashion today.

From ski slopes to runway shows

Salomon is a rare bird. If you’re into anything outdoors, you’re likely aware that they make products for skiers, runners, the military, you name it.

The brand was founded in 1947 by Frenchman, François Salomon. The brand has humble beginnings. They originally designed saw blades. And after WW2, they got into ski equipment when tourism started to boom again in Europe.

First up were ski edges, a niche accessory that drove huge demand

See this guy?

That's Georges, François's son. They started the Salomon business together, and Georges was destined to take it far and wide.

Georges was smart too.

Early on, he built machinery to manufacture ski edges, allowing him to focus on building other products that would scale the business. But when they invented and patented the "skade," that really made their business boom.

When they started popping off

By the 70s, Salomon was popping off. Everybody wanted Salomon boards, bindings, and ski boots. So that's what they made. More ski gear.

Everything was clicking, and Georges knew it was time to expand into other sports. So, in 1984 they bought TaylorMade to get into... golf products!

Fast forward a little. Adidas enters the picture. The German brand that had early success in making football products was big into multi-sport expansion too.

They see the $$$ signs And Salomon is just crushing it by this point. So they straight-up buy Salomon in 1997, who was apparently valued ~$1.4 billion at the time.

Adidas wants to turn Salomon into a multi-sport powerhouse with it.

But that doesn't last long It wasn't a great fit, and in 2005 Adidas sells to Finnish-owned Amer Sports.

Side note—worth noting that Ralph Lauren (a longtime Salomon fan) was wearing Salomons in *2006.* Remember that year for later.

But first, let's quickly review Salomon's story.

• Started after WW2.

• First made ski gear.

• Then patented products.

• Scale like crazy.

• Buy TaylorMade.

• Expand categories.

• Make hiking boots.

• Get BOUGHT by Adidas.

• More product expansion.

• Sold by Adidas.

Not bad, huh?

So in 2013, they’re well into hiking products by this point. They launch the XT-6, a shoe originally designed for trail running. But interest across Europe starts trickling in from... the fashion industry.

Legend has it that iconic Parisian store Broken Arm was the first to carry Salomon after a customer walked in asking for their products.

Then it’s designer Boris Bidjan Saberi who redesigns a Salomon boot for his runway show in 2016.

Then, they tap Jean-Philippe Lalonde from Veilance (Arc’teryx’s fashion brand) to build out Salomon's Sportstyle business.

And things took off from there.

One collab leads to another.

And six years in they've dropped partnerships with everyone. Noteworthy collabs: COMME des GARÇONS KITH Hidden NY Carhartt WIP Madhappy And on it goes.

The cultural ripple effect is huge too. PUSHA, Bella Hadid, Rihanna.

Salomons are absolutely everywhere now.

Then GQ names the XT-6 the sneaker of the year, in the early wave of Gorpcore. The shoe had only been around for 5-6 years by this point. Not bad for a ski company.

Salomon's story is remarkable because of how the brand transcends creed and social status. How many brands can you name that make shit for skiers, designers, hikers, fashion heads, and people in the military?

The French brand has firmly cemented its footwear into the mainstream conversation, along with brands like HOKA, and their meteoric rise is incredible to watch.

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