Valone: Sustainability and performance, the new standard in trail running shoes
In the sports equipment sector, the idea that a highly durable shoe can compete with performance models is often seen as a compromise. Startup Valone aims to overturn this paradigm. By integrating reparability into the core design of its trail running shoe, Valone seeks to prove that technical performance and longevity go hand in hand. This unique positioning has earned the young company recognition in the Startup of the Year category at the Trail Running Awards.
RAVE: Uncompromising technical design
The brand's first model, Rave, is not just a durable shoe; it is primarily designed to meet the demands of technical terrain. Its streamlined design is the result of precise technical choices focused on efficiency:
Stability and Protection: The product features a 27mm stack height and a 7mm drop, ensuring reliable protection and precise ankle support.
Premium Materials: The use of Vibram outsoles and high-performance European textiles (Dyneema, Cordura, and Kevlar threads) is chosen not only for durability, but to guarantee optimal hold and traction during the race.
Comfort: The integration of a wide toe box prioritizes comfort over long distances.
Valone's commitment is clear: to offer an exceptional shoe capable of competing on technical terrain that can subsequently be repaired.
Innovation and technical partners working together for longevity
Valone's major innovation lies in the fact that repairability was integrated right from the early design stages, in close collaboration with technical partners. The goal was to ensure that selected materials could be easily worked on, giving the product a second life without altering its initial qualities.
Industrial Collaboration: Valone made the rare choice of manufacturing in Portugal, requiring a significant investment to support the partner factory in developing this level of technicality. Designers from All Triangles provided support in creating the prototypes. The Portuguese industrial partner highlighted the "positive challenge" of this technical project.
Concrete Solutions: The shoe allows for the complete replacement of the sole unit and lugs.
Purchasing model: Valone positions itself as the first brand to sell the repair cycle (sole block and lugs) directly on its website, at the same time as the shoe.
Thanks to this collaborative approach, field testing validates that a repaired shoe recovers its technical potential. Studies conducted confirm that professional repair extends the lifespan of the model by approximately 1,000 km.
European roots and key support
The viability of this ethical and technical model has been validated by the support of several recognized institutional and financial players. The startup benefits from this backing, confirming the disruptive potential of this alternative to overconsumption.
Furthermore, the brand is distributed in premier specialty retailers (such as Le Vieux Campeur stores and the Run Aventure network).
These validations demonstrate recognition of the Valone model on ethical, technical, and commercial fronts. Thomas, an ultra-trail ambassador, confirms this dual quality: he was not only won over by the ecological approach, but also chose Valone shoes for major goals like the Chartreuse Terminorum, proving that high-performance demands are fully met.
Valone thus aims to establish durability as a new performance standard for the future of trail running.
