Boris Bidjan Saberi, the German-Iranian designer behind 11 by BBS, knows what makes a good climbing shoe. He’s been a climber for over 30 years and, through a continued partnership with Salomon, is the designer behind a series of technical, monochrome, and futuristic-looking shoes designed to help you climb at record speeds.
Now, he’s taken the step to create his own climbing shoes.
Designed for bouldering — a type of climbing performed without ropes or harnesses on small rock formations or artificial walls — the designer has released the Athletic Bouldering Shoe 1 (priced at $179).
Designed by Saberi and created by acclaimed Swiss rock climber Fred Nicole alongside climbing footwear makers So iLL, the sleek shoe is designed purely for performance.
The shoe includes a two-piece, unlined, durable vegan microsuede upper with a padded mesh tongue and a single-piece outsole fitted with a proprietary rubber for a combination of resilience and friction.
Plus, Saberi tapped his old friends at Salomon to use its patented Quicklace System.
As one of the fastest-growing sports worldwide, it’s only a matter of time before more brands start looking to tap into the bouldering market — especially with slim, climbing-esque shoes already walking the runway and fashionable crews like Karma8a regularly popping up.