2023-05-29 05:44:28
70 years ago to the day, two men climbed Everest for the first time. A feat that forever changed the image of climbing. Since then, this sport has conquered many French people. The Union Sport et Cycle estimates the number of riders in France at 2 million, indoors or outdoors. Proof that climbing appeals, the discipline will be present at the 2024 Paris Games.
A sort of non-event for Decathlon, the sports leader in France, which saw this success coming. In 2008, the brand bought Simond, a Savoyard brand of climbing equipment. At the foot of Mont-Blanc, the brand mixes innovation and passion to make climbing accessible to as many people as possible.
Women’s slippers
So, in a workshop nestled under the Aiguille du Midi, which offers one of the most famous climbing routes of the Mont-Blanc massif, this century-old brand wants to accompany the growing love of the French for the discipline. Objective: to constantly renew the essentials for climbing, such as slippers. “It’s a slipper with the morphology of a climber’s foot”, explains Jean-Charles, product manager, at the microphone of Europe 1.
And special feature: the liner is also available in a women’s version. If Jean-Charles and his colleagues share the same desire to innovate, it is above all because they practice climbing themselves. “The whole team is passionate regarding climbing”, admits the product manager.
A cost battle
A common point with their future clients, who participate in the work of reflection. “We involve groups of climbers and climbers on WhatsApp, or we send the slippers” directly to them, notes Jean-Charles. But innovation takes time: it takes three years from the start of the design to the shelf, passing through Romania to manufacturing.
However, a long time is needed to hunt down costs and offer products that are accessible to customers. For example, “we imagine the forms of material and assembly to reduce assembly time” and reduce costs, he explains. And the bet is successful: the brand’s latest pair of slippers costs 80 euros, when some competitors exceed the 100 euro mark.
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