“Advertising is the tax you pay for being unremarkable.”
Robert Stephens, founder of Geek Squad
You might be wondering if the Vibram FiveFingers are really a barefoot shoe. Technically, they are not. They have a thin layer of rubber over the top of them to prevent them from slipping off your foot. The Vibram FiveFingers shoes are great for people who want to focus on their posture and their form.Vibram FiveFingers allow your feet to feel the way they are supposed to feel, without the support of a traditional shoe. If you want to stay healthy and perform at your best in your minimalist Vibram FiveFingers, it is important to stay active, eat healthy and wear loose fitting clothing.
In his book the personal MBA Josh Kaufman conveyed Vibram Five Finger case study of how the company achieved Remarkability through unique design.
” Vibram FiveFingers are shoes that look like a cross between a sock and a glove. Wearing them makes you look a bit like a frog: each toe has its little pocket, giving your feet a slightly amphibian look-odd enough to be noticed.
Josh picked up a pair of FiveFingers to experiment with barefoot running. The thin rubber sole protects your feet from rocks and glass without unnecessary support, letting your feet do what they’re naturally designed to do. Running or walking in FiveFingers is surprisingly fun, which is why he keeps wearing them.
FiveFingers is just strange enough that people can’t help but notice your feet when you wear them-they violate expectations of what shoes are supposed to look like. As a result, people ask me about them constantly-even in as “unfriendly” a place as the streets of New York City. By the end of the conversation, I’ve inevitably told my new acquaintance what they are, why I’m wearing them, how much they cost, and where they can purchase them.
FiveFingers are designed to overcome the #1 problem every new offering faces: if no one knows you exist, no one will buy what you have to sell. Every customer wearing a pair of FiveFingers inevitably provides Vibram with all the advertising they need to keep growing for free.
From a business perspective, the attention-grabbing design of FiveFingers is working beautifully. On the street, salespeople confirm that new pairs of FiveFingers are flying off the shelves. According to the New York Times (“Wiggling Their Toes at the Shoe Giants,” August 30, 2009), sales of the FiveFingers line have tripled every year since they were introduced in 2006, and in 2009 revenue crossed the $10 million mark in North America alone-without mass-market advertising.”
Content reference:
1. Josh Kaufman, https://personalmba.com/remarkability/ (accessed August 10, 2022)
2. Adams, Chris. “Vibram Five-Fingers Footwear Review.” ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/vibram-five-fingers-footwear-review-1206728 (accessed August 10, 2022)