Salomon is launching a new, partially automated production technology, called ME:sh, that enables it to make customized running shoes, as the French outdoor and winter sports brand strives to expand from the outdoor and trail running footwear markets to become established in the road running category as well. A play on words, ME:sh stands for “me” and “shoes.” Furthermore, the word mesh is meant to allude to the interaction between the brand and the consumer.
Salomon's total sales reached €852 million last year, which amounted to increases of about 3 percent in euros and 5 percent in constant currencies. Jean-Marc Pambet, president of Salomon, is predicting that its footwear sales will reach a level of about €500 million this year. Another €150 million should come from apparel and the balance of €200 million from equipment.
Amer Sports' leading brand has launched several initiatives to build up its credentials in the road running market in the next few years. Roughly half of the current footwear sales are generated from trail running and the other half from other outdoor activities. The trail running category was built to a large extent by Salomon more than ten years ago, and according to Pambet, road running could start making a sizeable impact on the brand's sales from 2020 to 2025.
Pambet is also in charge of the footwear operations of three other Amer brands – Arc'teryx, Wilson and Mavic – which are also expanding their footprint in this product category. Arc'teryx, which showed its first shoe collection three years ago, is launching an enhanced trail running shoe for spring/summer 2018, the Norvan VT, that can also be used for climbing on unpredictably vertical terrain. Developed by Vibram, its outsole combines its Idrogrip and Megagrip compounds. Among other details, it features a moulded Ortholite insert to cradle the wearer's foot.
Salomon has already started making inroads into the road running shoe market through the launch earlier this year of a new collection of Sonic footwear, which started retailing in two versions through about 400 sport stores with a sharp running assortment around Europe. The brand has developed a more complete Sonic range that will reach consumers in 2018, with a standard version, a lighter “Pro” shoe and a “Max” version for heavier runners. The full Sonic range comes with an anti-vibration technology and its distribution should be gradually broadened. Targeted squarely at road runners, Sonic is not to be displayed at the OutDoor fair in Friedrichshafen.
Road runners as well as light trail runners are targeted by Salomon through its S/Lab ME:sh project, which has been in the works for the last seven years. It enables Salomon to produce customized shoes – not just in terms of color and appearance, but adjusted to the shape of the person's foot, the intended use of the shoe, the customer's running motion and his or her preferences in terms of design features. Customers will be able to choose the drop, the cushioning (midsole and inserts) and the outsole.
Salomon says its customization process is enabled by a completely new production system that is meant to be installed closer to the market. ME:sh footwear requires just 50 automated or manual operations instead of about 180 with traditional production, Pambet told us. Another point is that the shoe is made up of just 12 components instead of a current average of 50, thus reducing waste in production and the carbon footprint caused by shipping to distant locations.
The technology does not currently allow for the construction of more resistant mountain trail running footwear. The distribution of ME:sh footwear is going to be much narrower, starting with nine specialist retailers, eight in France and one in Belgium, who have learned to work with the measurements relevant for the production of these shoes and have a ME:sh “capsule” installed in their stores.
The first ME:sh production unit has been installed at the group's design center in Annecy to start deliveries this month, and another one is projected to go on stream in China in 2018. The purpose is to take advantage of the technology to produce footwear locally, or at least closer to consumers, as in the 3D manufacturing processes being developed by Adidas and Nike. The operation of the production unit, which currently measures about 60 square meters, will be adjusted based on the input received from consumers and the specialist retailers involved in the project from the start.
The ME:sh project has been developed with input from Killian Jornet, the Spanish mountain running champion endorsed by Salomon.
