BareFeetWare Competitors

In 1906, New Balance began as a humble one-man operation founded on the belief that “we were born to move,” and has since grown into an international corporation, selling footwear and apparel in over 120 countries and employing over 14,000 associates worldwide. Our mission has always been to support the performance of athletes, and with an unparalleled focus on quality and craftsmanship, we’ve come to set the standard for comfort and fit in an industry all too often driven by hype. We’re incredibly proud of our history and how far we’ve come, but companies don’t thrive for over a century by being content. Whether it’s setting a new style trend, retooling our manufacturing process, or building a new state-of-the-art headquarters, we pursue innovation with a spirit of fearless independence. As the only privately held major footwear company in the world, we’re free to do things our way, pushing limits and testing boundaries as we continually reimagine what could be. After all, the status quo isn’t static. But doing things our way wouldn’t mean much if we weren’t also doing them the right way. We invest in our associates as they invest in us, and as we move forward, we make a point of giving back, supporting communities around us through ambitious philanthropic efforts and involvement programs. We are a company that cares, and our culture is one of integrity and teamwork where together we become greater than the sum of our parts.

At Merrell, we believe in sharing the simple power of being outside with everyone. No matter who you are, where you came from, who you love or how you move — Everyone should be welcome in the outdoors and wherever life takes us. We strive to inspire everyone because, together, we can help protect the trail we love. Our goal is to provide innovative, thoughtfully designed, rigorously- tested footwear and apparel products that over-deliver on quality, comfort, versatility, and look good too. We believe if we do these things right, we can enable anybody on the planet to pick up Merrell gear and feel adventurous, empowered, confident, and ready to enjoy the simple power of being outside. Merrell is a division of Wolverine Worldwide, one of the world’s leading marketers and licensors of branded casual, active lifestyle, work, outdoor sport, athletic, children's and uniform footwear and apparel.

Vibram is the world leader in the production and sales of high performance rubber outsoles in the sport, leisure, industrial, orthopedic and repair markets. For more than 80 years, the iconic yellow octagon that identifies our brand has been synonymous with quality, performance, safety, innovation and design. Since revolutionizing outdoor sports with the creation of the first rubber sole for mountain climbing in the 1930’s, Vibram has positioned itself as the industry standard. Vibram soles, created with a desire to increase the level of safety and protection on every shoe, are the result of a constant commitment to research and development. They proved to be irreplaceable companions during many extreme expeditions, such as conquering Everest, K2 and almost all of the highest peaks in the world, distinguishing themselves in competitions and transoceanic regattas like the America’s Cup and the Vendée Globe Challenge and taking innovative design concepts into fashion and recreation. Each new Vibram product is designed using the latest designs and best compounds for its specific use. New soles are always produced with three objectives: to guarantee the best performance, the maximum level of comfort and quality over time. These objectives are implemented by the most stringent tests that are executed in the laboratory and in the field by the Vibram Tester Team. Since 1937 when Vitale Bramani (Vi-Bram) created the revolutionary ‘Carrarmato’, the rubber sole for mountaineering shoes, the company has continued to draw on this wealth of tradition and technology. More recently, this inspired us to create Vibram Fivefingers® - a minimalist footwear concept: soles for the feet with five separate toe pockets, made from Vibram® rubber that, as flexible as a glove, facilitates a natural articulation of the foot.