In 2006, Tony Post launched the Vibram FiveFingers brand in the United States. The five-toed shoes exploded in popularity, making Post, who is a former pro runner, a star in the footwear world.
This month, after leaving Vibram last year, Post launches a new venture. To be unveiled at the Outdoor Retailer trade show in Utah next week, Post and an investment partner have formed a new company and a line of shoes under the Topo Athletic brand name.
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Like Vibram FiveFingers, the Topo shoes are unique. This time instead of five separate toes the Topo shoes have just one split for the big toe.
The split-toe design creates an anchor point, Post says, for the forefoot in stride. It offers a “stronger connection to your footwear,” the company press materials cite.
But the remaining toes are not locked into sleeves of their own. They sit free in a normal toe box and are able to naturally spread out and flex.
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Based off the historic design of tabi shoes from Japan, the Topo Athletic footwear will come in three split-toe models for men and women.
The split-toe design emerged prominently in western consciousness in 1951 when a Japanese runner won the Boston Marathon in a pair of tabi shoes.
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