In the midst of a storm, bombing down moist, technical descents about 12 miles from the end line of the 2025 CCC exterior of Chamonix, France, Robyn Lesh felt one thing maybe a bit unusual, given the circumstances: She felt safe in her footing.
“I felt utterly connected to the bottom on these descents, that are getting darkish, actually moist, rocky, like your headlamp is bouncing off the shiny rocks,” Lesh, a runner for Workforce Vibram Path, stated just a few days after her seventh-place end at one of many world’s best 100-kilometer races and the UTMB World Collection Closing for the space. “And if you possibly can step on something and keep connected to it, it’s simply this additional degree of consolation and safety. And your mind is already tremendous drained, so if you run with out worrying that you simply’ll slip off one thing, it’s actually wonderful.”
Lesh wasn’t the one one benefiting from Vibram outsoles in the course of the 2025 UTMB Mont Blanc competition, which included unpredictable circumstances from wild climate and intense racing round Mont Blanc.
Robyn Lesh, just a few days earlier than ending seventh on the 2025 CCC. All photographs: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Vibram on the UTMB Trails
Lesh attributed her sense of safety and confidence on slippery, rocky trails to the Vibram Megagrip Elite outsole on her Norda 005 path trainers. The Megagrip Elite outsole, which makes use of superior expertise to supply unparalleled grip on steep and technical terrain regardless of the climate, is designed for runners looking quick occasions in massive races. The Megagrip Elite and the model’s Megagrip outsoles appeared completely suited to the moist, rugged trails of this yr’s UTMB Mont Blanc competition races when rain moved in and soaked all the pieces.
Vibram outsoles made up a major share of the sneakers of the elite runners of the 2025 CCC.
Along with Lesh, many different top-10 finishers on the TDS, OCCCCC, and Utmba wore sneakers with Vibram outsoles.
On the TDS, which isn’t a UTMB World Collection Closing however thought of extra rugged and technical than another UTMB race in addition to the PTLthree of the highest 10 ladies and two of the highest 10 males had Vibram outsoles on their sneakers, together with ladies’s winner Careth Arnold.
On the OCC, a 60k race and a UTMB World Collection Closing race for the 50k distance, which was run on a modified course resulting from heavy rain all through the day and promised slippery footing on rocks and dust, 4 of the highest 10 males and 5 of the highest 10 ladies wore Vibram outsoles, together with males’s winner Jim Walmsley and sixth-place finisher Adam Peterman. Ladies’s third-place finisher Judith Wyder additionally trusted the grip of Vibram.
On the CCC, the 100k from Courmayeur, Italy, to ChamonixVibram’s presence was much more pronounced. Males’s winner Climate Puppi was one in all 5 runners within the prime 10 to put on a Vibram outsole, and Drew Holmen took benefit of the Vibram outsoles on his Nike ACG Ultrafly sneakers to run his option to a third-place end. Six of the highest 10 ladies ran in Vibram outsoles, together with Lesh and the whole podium. Puppi and ladies’s winner Martyna Młynarczyk ran the second quickest occasions ever of their respective divisions.
Adam Peterman fashions Hokas with Vibram outsoles on the streets of Chamonix earlier than occurring to complete sixth on the 2025 CCC.
Vibram Outsoles on the Huge Loop
The climate forecast for the 2025 UTMB was dire. The 108-mile loop round Mont Blanc is without doubt one of the world’s most iconic and difficult ultramarathons, traversing by way of three nations and that includes practically 32,500 ft of elevation achieve throughout technical terrain.
Vibram outsoles on show firstly line of the 2025 UTMB. Picture: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Inside 20 minutes of racers leaving the night begin in Chamonix, the rain began to bucket down and didn’t cease as day turned to nighttime. Over the Col du Bonhomme within the darkness and rain, 40k into the race, racers struggled by way of gale-force winds and dust. On the Col de la Seigne, over 60k into the race, runners confronted accumulating snow, and on the steep climb as much as the course’s excessive level at Grand Col Ferret, previous the 100k mark, slippery mud left runners trying to find traction. Situations turned so dangerous that the group rerouted racers across the technical Pyramides Calcaires climb and descent for security. If ever a race required runners to have wonderful traction and grip, it was now.
Ji Duo powered by way of the snow with Vibram outsoles on the prime of Grand Col Ferret in the course of the wild climate of the 2025 UTMB.
Within the males’s race, 4 of the highest 10 males ran in sneakers with Vibram outsoles, together with back-to-back Exhausting rock 100 winner Ludovic Pommeretwho completed sixth carrying sneakers with a Vibram Megagrip outsole.
Ludovic Pommeret wore a pair of Hokas with Vibram outsoles on his option to ending sixth on the 2025 UTMB.
“I’m absolutely glad with this outsole,” Pommeret stated just a few days after the race. “They fulfilled my expectations. They’re fairly mild, they usually additionally restrict the rigidity of the shoe.” The Frenchman maintains a status for descending sooner than practically anybody else within the discipline, and one can solely think about that he locations an enormous quantity of belief in his outsoles to stay to no matter floor he places them on.
Two of the highest 5 runners within the ladies’s race wore Vibram outsoles. Third-place finisher Katharina Hartmuth opted for the brand new Hoka Mafate 5 sneakers, which characteristic a Vibram Megagrip outsole.
“The outsole carried out very effectively, particularly within the difficult climate circumstances,” Hartmuth stated after the race. “I used to be glad to have such a grippy outsole on the very muddy sections, but in addition on technical sections operating over moist and slippery rocks/roots. I may all the time belief my sneakers and had solely only a few ‘nearly falls’ resulting from slipping on the bottom. That is additionally why I made a decision to put on the sneakers for the whole race, though I initially deliberate to alter to a distinct shoe (and outsole) midway.”
Katharina Hartmuth trusted Vibram outsoles within the mud of the Grand Col Ferret in the course of the 20205 UTMB.
Hartmuth’s single shoe alternative appeared to serve her effectively within the moist circumstances within the first half of the race and the considerably drier path that runners encountered as soon as the solar got here up and the storm moved by way of. She labored her method up from effectively out of the highest 10 within the early kilometers of the race whereas she battled abdomen points into the highest 5 by the midway level and finally into third, her second podium end on the race.
Grip and Traction
So what makes these outsoles so good?
“How caught you are feeling to the bottom is a mixture of grip and traction,” Lesh defined. “If you happen to had been operating on simply rock, in essence, you’ll need a flat sole with no lugs (to extend) the floor space touching the rocks,” she continued. “However if you happen to’re in unfastened or muddy terrain, you’d need large lugs. So designing an outsole is that this stability between grip and traction — maximizing the stickiness on rock with floor space and likewise the stickiness on muddy or unfastened stuff with the lugs.”
When circumstances obtained slippery, runners all through the sector turned to Vibram outsoles.
The Megagrip Elite outsole makes use of Vibram’s stickiest rubber compound, and Lesh describes it as a “race outsole” resulting from its mild weight. For a race like this yr’s CCC, which featured dry trails and clear skies firstly — Lesh stated she truly obtained sunburned — adopted by rainstorms within the final part, the outsole’s versatility was essential.
“On these moist rocks at evening when it’s tremendous slick, the compound actually shines,” she stated.
Hartmuth echoed Lesh’s evaluation of the outsole’s advantages.
“For me, the secret is the grip,” Hartmuth stated. “It’s simply unmatched, and whereas you may get away with a semi-good grip on dry and runnable trails, in these wet, muddy, and snowy circumstances, grip is completely mandatory, and Vibram simply is aware of learn how to make an outsole grippy.” Hartmuth additionally famous that the Vibram outsole holds as much as distance. “The grip is sturdy and doesn’t put on off after just a few hundred kilometers.”
Resoling with Vibram Outsoles
Within the days main as much as the races, chatter round Chamonix largely centered across the climate and the way the forecasted rain would affect the paths. These conversations had many runners questioning their shoe alternative for his or her particular occasions, and abruptly, many individuals weren’t feeling significantly assured in what they introduced.
Set in the midst of the expo, which ran all through the week of races and hosted manufacturers all through the operating trade, Vibram had a big cell resole lab arrange that housed the entire gear their technicians wanted to take an outsole off of any shoe and substitute it with a distinct one from Vibram. On Tuesday afternoon, the store was buzzing with exercise as runners of every kind had been bringing their sneakers in for brand spanking new outsoles. Footwear from numerous manufacturers lined the cabinets ready for brand spanking new outsoles, and the store was booked out for the whole week. The grinding machine whirled, eradicating previous rubber whereas new outsoles had been measured for attachment.
Vibram technicians spent the week changing outsoles for runners fearful about race circumstances at UTMB.
Vibram provided 4 outsole choices with numerous lug depths and designs, starting from comparatively low-profile lugs to deep mud-specific ones. Technicians had been prepared to speak with runners about which might work greatest for his or her racing wants after which took their sneakers for an entire makeover.
Vibram provided 4 completely different outsole choices for resoling any shoe of their cell workshop.
Clearly, when traction was a priority, many trusted Vibram’s status for prime efficiency and stickiness underneath variable circumstances. They had been keen to wager their races on the rubber’s skill to grip on each moist and dry trails.
Discovering Confidence in Vibram Outsoles
Grip, traction, sturdiness, confidence on technical terrain — these are the hallmarks of the Vibram outsoles powering elite and on a regular basis path runners alike to quick occasions and enjoyable adventures. There’s a motive why so many sneakers seen round Chamonix throughout UTMB week had Vibram outsoles on them; they work in variable and altering circumstances.
Vibram could possibly be seen throughout Chamonix throughout UTMB week.
Lesh, specifically, will bear in mind the outsoles serving to her keep assured, safe, and on her ft on that descent within the closing miles of CCC earlier than she crossed the end line in seventh. It was a world breakout race for the Colorado-based runner.
“I’ve been operating with Vibram solely for 4 years, and I’ve forgotten that it’s not regular to only really feel snug on all terrain as a result of it’s my day-to-day,” Lesh stated, “You don’t even take into consideration whether or not you’re connected to one thing. You simply run over it.”
Robyn Lesh trusted her Vibram outsoles on her option to a seventh-place end on the 2025 CCC. Picture: Vibram
(Editor’s Be aware: This text is sponsored by Vibram. Thanks to Vibram for its sponsorship of iRunFar, which helps to make iRunFar occur and free for all to take pleasure in. Study extra about our sponsored articles.)
