Garsport cares about those who work even in extreme conditions using its great knowledge of hiking footwear to make work shoes and vice versa.
There are companies that work with endless passion to develop incredibly safe products, suitable even in extreme conditions such as the mountains or cold weather. Garsport, whose soul is rooted in the trekking sector, has managed to transfer knowledge, technologies and production capacity from the sports world to the accident prevention one. And carried out it successfully, since 1972, when Diego Garbuio, a shoemaker, opened his first production workshop with his wife Gabriella. In the 1980s, the Treviso-based company began the production of light trekking shoes. Production became increasingly specialized when the sons Mauro and Cristian entered the family business in the 1990s. Today, Garsport is a real reference point for the Italian and international market because it is able to guarantee excellent quality standards and top safety and durability features, even in a niche such as that of the hiking and trekking footwear.
Are you happy to be back at the fair after two years?
“We are happy that Safety Expo is back because this show finally represents Italy, also internationally. This is the only event in our country meant for the world of safety and always arouses great interest in operators. We are satisfied because there has been a good turnout, even from foreign customers who have shown considerable interest in our new products. Two in particular: the first is a shoe designed and built for cold environment, that mainly addresses to the Nordic countries, such as Scandinavia, Norway, Sweden, and all countries hosting mountains. We created it for all those who work in the cold, sometimes in particularly harsh conditions. This shoe features an inner sock that resists low temperatures. It is removable and easily washable. In this way, when a worker returns home, he can safely leave the shoe outside, perhaps dirty, and enter the house wearing the sock, being fully comfortable. Obviously, it is a completely waterproof shoe.”
You have filled a gap in the market…
“This is a niche product, designed specifically for operators who work outdoors, at high altitudes, in quarries, for logistics companies or even in forestry bodies. We are collecting a lot of requests because until today there was no such solution on the market. The second news we have brought, is a shoe with a nitrile rubber sole, and a wedge/midsole in bi-color and bi-density polyurethane, developed by Garsport in collaboration with MICHELIN® – the double density is an advantage that ensures unparalleled softness, comfort and stability to the foot. To make this type of shoe, Garsport invested in a special 30-station direct injection machine, currently operating at its own production site.
This year you will celebrate half a century of history, a very important milestone. You have managed to stay true to your DNA.
“Our company is located in the world center of sports footwear, that’s why our know-how and DNA is mountain-oriented: trekking footwear, technical footwear, climbing shoes and so on. 50 years of unrivaled knowledge. Not everyone reaches this goal, nor achieves it with the same care and attention we pay since 1972, always producing safe and beautiful shoes. For this reason, we have decided to launch our own brand on the market so to be even more renowned. We know what we are talking about and we do it well.”
What is the greatest difficulty in developing mountain footwear?
“To craft a mountain shoe, you need a very expert dexterity. Even in the world of work, footwear is becoming more and more complex and the final consumer’s need is increasingly demanding. We have been able to transfer the know-how of a certain type of product to the world of safety footwear as well. This allows us to immediately catch the key points to create the right product for every need. Developing the most suitable footwear, giving it the right strength, comfort and technology was easy for us because, as a principle, mountain footwear already features all these characteristics. And while others think more and more about lightness and comfort, we are increasingly working on insoles. We need to evaluate everything very well, because we must consider that a worker wears the shoe on average 10 hours up.”
And for the after-work?
“It was natural for us to think about this too, so we came up with the Spritz model. Its purpose can already be understood from the name: a shoe to wear in your free time but featuring the same technical characteristics. Our motto is “Everywhere you go”: accompany the consumer wherever he goes, from morning to evening. High quality and innovative technologies always!”
What is the biggest challenge for you today?
“It is to grow more and more with our brand beyond the domestic market. We aim at internationalization. We started to climb the European market, which is an important goal to achieve. By now we stop here, time will decide.”
GARSPORT – www.garsport.it
Luca Feltrin, foreign trade manager / OEM and Renato Lorenzi, sales manager Italy
