About foot health
EVERY FOOTWEAR SHOULD ALLOW NATURAL FOOT MOVEMENT
PROALP’S APPROACH TO MANUFACTURING SHOES
To manufacture a pair of high-quality shoes, it is essential to have a good understanding of foot structure and its functions. This knowledge is the basic guiding principle of our footwear production and is constantly combined with expertise based on the shoemaking tradition that is famous for our hometown – Tržič. We constantly participate in international cooperation in the field of footwear development and fashion trends.
Feet are an important factor that majorly influences our health as they carry the weight of our body, maintain the correct posture, and take care of balance and body stability. During the walking, the foot is in constant movement, changing its shape as well as capacity point and maintaining stable contact with the walking ground. More flexible feet make us more creative and active as well. Therefore, high-quality footwear is the one, which doesn’t obstruct the feet’ natural movement. Hence the main features of Proalp’s footwear are SPACIOUSNESS, FLEXIBILITY, and CLIMATE of shoes.
SPACIOUSNESS – the shape of the shoe that follows the foot shape
Proalp’s shoes have a wider front part, which allows toes to move freely, without any obstruction or forced positions. The toe muscles are essential in keeping the feet’ shape and arches. Shaping the shoes where the inner line is going straight and the inner front part of the shoe, is giving a big toe more living space and enables its movement. Furthermore, the body gains a better point of take-off and ends the foot movement with a strong push. The toes are stretched without being tightened in a forced position, thanks to the rounded and spacious front part of the shoe. The soft grip around the instep and ankles makes the stride even more relaxed and comfortable.
FLEXIBILITY – the foot is changing its shape while walking
When walking forward, the hill is carrying all the body’s weight. After that, the weight (in the shape of a curve) passes to the little toe and eventually to the big toe. When the heel is lifted, the feet pads bend. Therefore, flexible shoes enable natural foot bending in that particular area.
CLIMATE – the balance between airiness, waterproofness, and heat insulation
In Proalp’s shoes, the proper climate is created by first-class material, all of which are measured by strict European quality standards. All of the used materials are of Slovenian or Italian origin.
The feet-friendly materials are mostly natural which enables good heat insulation – in summer they prevent feet from overheating, and in rainy months they protect them from water. However, we do not promote the use of a waterproof membrane, as it prevents air and humidity circulation. That’s why, we can proudly say that the base quality of Proalp’s shoes remains their airiness, which is met by the flex-stitching process. This is the traditional shoe-making process which is nowadays considered luxurious because it includes handmade work, combined with the use of high-quality materials. The upper part of the sporty-elegant shoes is sewn to the inside with the shoemaker’s cord, while the upper part is being pulled over the last, turned inside out, and eventually sewn together. The sole and the upper part are being sanded on the side, which gives the shoes a nice shape.
CUSTOM-MADE SHOES
Human feet come in all shapes and sizes, which makes it harder for some people to find their perfect pair of shoes. The method of flex-stitched footwear offers here a great solution, as it enables corrections of the basic last and, the way it is possible to make also high-quality custom-made shoes. Along with a sense of aesthetics and a deep understanding of feet’ anatomy, we are capable of creating custom-made footwear that is both: comfortable and stylish to look at.
PROALP’S BAREFOOT SHOES CONTACT
Proalp’s barefoot footwear Contact was built on our vision to produce flexible and spacious shoes from first-class materials. Just like all of our footwear, Contact shoes are also airy, durable, and colorful. Our new barefoot model enables maximum foot contact with the terrain. Wearing Contact shoes, we don’t feel sharp stones under our feet. At the same time, the foot embraces the ground, just like walking barefoot.
In the winter season, we recommend ankle boots Contact C2 and his lower brother Contact C1. Contact C2 comes with a 6 mm thick layer of wool with Alu-foil felt. Additional felt made with bio wool and hemp can be also added manually to protect the feet from cold, which is usually enough for most people. Those who are most sensitive to cold can order additional woolen lining as well. However, at the peak of winter, usually only the less sensitive people can wear barefoot footwear as their heat insulation is significantly lower than the one created in high-quality winter shoes.
FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES OF THE SHOES ARE ESSENTIALLY DETERMINED BY THE SOLES
In the past, people were used to having shoes that were often too hard, but nowadays we are facing the opposite effect – the shoes are usually too soft. However, it is essential to acknowledge that wearing a soft shoe doesn’t always mean the shoe is more flexible as well. Thick and soft sole, when pressed from the top, usually sinks, which disturbs natural foot movement and gradually destroys its structure.
Proalp’s sports-elegant footwear (suitable for transition to barefoot) has soles that provide sufficient cushioning when in contact with sharp terrain and they are firm enough to keep the foot muscles actively engaged while walking. Thanks to the flex-stitched method (where the minimum amount of glue is used) the soles maintain flexibility.
The biggest feature of Proalp’s footwear is the use of vulcanized rubber, which is made from the best compound. It is slip-resistant and very resistant against abrasion. It has a 15 mm high frame, which allows walking on wet terrain as well. Thanks to the thin profile and the sole thickness of only 2. 5 mm, the ground is felt very well and the whole foot is strengthened. However, in snow, mud, and leaves, we strongly advise increased attention when walking.
The high-quality Vibram sole, used in walking and mountain shoes, comes from the new generation of soles, which is composed of two different hard materials. This allows the shoe to grip the ground better, which also prevents excessive abrasion of the sole because the material moves away from the point, where the sole pressure is the greatest. The sole highly neutralize strong vibrations, that can occur while walking. The rubber is slip-resistant and suitable for rocky, wet, and even snowy terrain, thanks to the new Vibram (New Winkler).
LOCAL BUSINESS AND DETERMINING THE PRICES
Proalp’s shoes result from our development and design, including knowledge and experiences from the eight hundred years tradition of shoemaking in Tržič. The town is located in the heart of mountains which makes our understanding of hikers’ shoes needs even more detailed. Considering these two factors and our international cooperation makes our shoes modern and unique. When designing our shoes, we also take into consideration the latest acknowledgments in the field of a healthy lifestyle as well as in the field of ecological and sustainable production.
