Fitwell Mountain Shoes, Made in Italy The story of Fitwell and its founder, Giuliano Grotto, began in 1979. The 90's was a period of transition.
Initially, the company was called ONESport, whose first four letters indicate the four cardinal points. The company stood out immediately in the shoe's market by offering the 8000, the first boot designed specifically for expeditions at high altitude (over eight thousand meters). The 80's continued in the name of innovation by offering innovative and interesting products such as Resin Rose, pink a
nd purple climbing shoes nicknamed "Click Clock" because of the steel bar attached to the inside that causes this kind of sound. In particular, 1998 was an important year for the company as it began a partnership with a french group which acquired the brand ONESport. After that, Giuliano Grotto has decided to create a new company, Fitwell. In the 2000's, after a few years spent in direct sales to Italians and foreign retailers, Fitwell decide to create a stronger sales network in Italy which can cover most of the Italian market. In these years, a great revival occurred with Fitwell back on the high levels reached in the 80's with ONESport, thanks to the introduction of models with solid performance as the Gnaro 8000, the latest model of boot designed for the eight-thousanders, tested by the great mountaineer Silvio Mondinelli and the Backcountry, a revolutionary boot designed for climbing and extreme freeride snowboarding. One simple rule: "MADE IN ITALY"
The most important strength of Fitwell is undoubtedly the production of the boot, which is made entirely in Pederobba (TV). The will to produce all MADE IN ITALY is Fitwell's response to the challenge of mountain footwear market. The company's policy is not a simple promotion of the intrinsic quality of the product, but it aims also for a continuous improvement of the performances and functionalities of their products, which shows an increasing attention to the needs of customers. For this reason, in order to meet the special needs, the production is totally handmade and highly specialized, in which the machines are useless tools without the skillful hand of the artisan. The products are also tested by a team of high-qualified testers like Luca Pandolfi, the famous freerider known for its extreme descents, and Silvio "Gnaro" Mondinelli, the "Mountain Machine" that could climb all the eight-thousanders several times. The brand "Fitwell" represents a guarantee of high quality, functionality and safety, thanks to the know-how gained in over 30 years of experience and using the highest quality materials such as waterproof and breathable leathers and fabrics and using Vibram soles, specifically built to each product so as to be suitable for any specific need and situation. Fitwell USA:
Todd Anders Johnson is a snowboard mountaineer, environmentalist and media producer and coordinated with Fitwell in Italy to develop the Fitwell USA brand with sales, distribution and marketing since 2013. In August, 2014, Todd reached out to long-time friend and fellow split board mountaineer, Thomas Haupt, to step up as US sales coordinator and co-owner with his intimate experience with mountain and ice climbing and split boarding throughout North America. Thomas Haupt is an avid mountaineer and has been split boarding throughout Alaska, British Columbia, Colorado, Utah, Montana and Wyoming for over 5 years. Thomas joined Fitwell USA as the US sales coordinator in August, 2014, being a long time friend and fellow snow and mountain enthusiast with Todd Anders Johnson. Thomas is also a professional musician and teaches, performs and records throughout North America. His guitar performances can be found with several groups throughout the Denver region. Thomas has been working with Voile as an ambassador along with salem performances for the last 3 years and co-wrote and recorded the recordings of salem’s “Mountains in you” and “Ode to Ullr”. Todd comes from a diverse background as ambassador and athlete with a number of outdoor brands and has produced multi-media tours throughout the US and Canada with The Risan Project which feature ski and snowboard film premiers and concerts along with avalanche awareness. He has traveled to Alaska annually for 15 years with Risan Project tours that he has produced. These tours allow the band the ability to perform at bars and heli ski lodges and events like Tailgate Alaska along with the pros, film crews, guides and clients and for daily split boarding in Valdez and Haines. Todd has also been able to film content with features on climate change, glaciology and renewable energy along with outdoor recreation with Risan Media. Todd has certifications as a wilderness first responder with courses in alpine rescue, AIARE avalanche I and II courses and field methods in glaciology.
