Salewa wins the ISPO Gold Award 2021
Salewa’s innovative Ortles Couloir mountaineering boot wins the ISPO Gold Award 2021. 725 grams of gold: the innovative design and high-tech functionality of Salewa’s fully cramponable Ortles Couloir mountaineering boot has been awarded the Ispo Gold Award 2021 in the Mountaineering Boots category.
The products of the South Tyrolean brand Salewa are the result of a pure passion for the mountains and a relentless ambition to develop intelligent solutions for the needs of mountaineers. Weighing in at just 725 grams, the new Ortles Couloir fully cramponable boot is the latest high-tech product to emerge from Salewa’s alpine expertise, achieved through a synthesis of traditional mountaineering experience and the use of advanced technical materials. During last December’s session, the twenty-seven members of the Ispo Award jury recognised the innovative value of this boot by awarding it the coveted Ispo Gold Award 2021 in the Outdoor Equipment/ Mountaineering Boots category, as the “top of the range ultra-light mountaineering boot for mountaineers and ice climbers”.
The new Ortles Couloir is named after its theatre of operations, the Ortles, which at 3,905m is not only the highest peak in the Southern Rhaetian Alps but is known for its challenging routes over technical terrain. With the lightweight Ortles Couloir, Salewa has created a modern boot for mountaineering activities, inspired by the typical situations on this mountain. Its compact, stable and agile design with a narrow toe area guarantees precision when climbing both rock and ice. The ingenious exoskeleton, made lightweight and robust through the use of carbon fibre, is connected to the base of the boot via a zip, ensuring both walkability on the approach and support when climbing.
This new boot is inspired by the Dolomites, which are our home”, explains William Starka, Salewa’s senior product manager footwear & equipment. “Its clean design is a first in the mountaineering boot sector and has allowed us to achieve great precision, total freedom of movement and excellent stability on rock and ice climbing. To ensure long lasting durability, we have selected durable, top quality technical materials. The Ortles Couloir takes the development of mountaineering boots into a new dimension”. Made in Europe, the new Ortles Couloir is equipped with a proprietary midsole technology, developed to provide comfort and specific insulation from the cold during winter approaches and long days with crampons on ice walls.
Ispo Gold Award 2021: the jury’s motivations
ISPO is the leading international network for the sports industry. Every year, it rewards the best products in the industry with the prestigious ISPO Awards. Last December, twenty-seven jurors from ten different countries evaluated the best innovations from the sports industry according to predefined criteria. In the Outdoor Equipment/Mountaineering Boots category, the jury was impressed by the innovative design of Salewa’s Ortles Couloir boot.
Jury member and textile expert Alexandra Schweikart summarised the reasons for the Gold Award, the highest accolade in the category: “Weighing in at just over 700 grams, the Ortles Couloir is in the lightest category of all fully cramponable boots. The external carbon exoskeleton provides additional stability when ice climbing. The ankle joint, the Velcro closure on the lower leg and the combination of inner and outer liner are inspired by the ski touring boot category. Goodbye cold feet: the toe box has an additional lining and the mineral mixture incorporated in the insole reflects the heat emitted by the body. In conclusion: an ultra-lightweight high-end mountain boot designed for mountaineers and ice climbers.”