The heritage and urban brand marked its 75th anniversary by bringing together its athletes, employees, and community in its hometown of Annecy, France.

As part of the celebration of its 75 years of existence as a leader in the outdoor sports world, Salomon partnered with the municipality of Annecy, France, to invite local residents to an outdoor sports festival during the week of June 27. The event was part of the brand's reflection on the contributions it has made to winter sports, running, hiking, and action sports since its beginnings in the historic old town of Annecy.

"Since Salomon was founded in a small workshop in the heart of Annecy in 1947, we have reinvented products and sports, helping our consumers find the best version of themselves through outdoor holiday experiences," said Salomon's President and CEO, Franco Fogliato, who took the helm of the company in November 2021. "The city of Annecy and the surrounding communities have been essential companions on Salomon's journey for 75 years, and the company wouldn't be what it is today without these communities of outdoor enthusiasts."

Organized in partnership with the city of Annecy, the free outdoor festival that took place on June 29 by the shores of Lake Paquier allowed children and adults to skate on an ice ramp, test Salomon shoes on a trail run, get a free ski tuning, aim at biathlon targets in a laser shooting zone, climb a rock wall, jump into a giant airbag from Les Arcs ski resort, and meet and greet Salomon athletes. Protect Our Winters, We Act, Aster, France Nature Environnement, and Water Family also participated in the event.  

75 years of history established in the French Alps

Salomon originally began as a family workshop for wood sawing and ski edge manufacturing in 1947 and went on to become a globally recognized outdoor brand with over 1,600 employees worldwide, including approximately 750 at its global headquarters – spanning 33,500 square meters, the Annecy Design Center houses engineers, designers, and athletes, and is located just five kilometers from Salomon's original family workshop. The company is currently present in 91 countries across Europe, North America, and Asia through its 190 Salomon stores and thousands of international retail partners, as well as online through its website and e-tail partners. Today, Salomon is the world leader in the sale of winter sports equipment (including alpine skiing, nordic skiing, and snowboarding) and the world leader in trail running. 

 Georges Salomon loved to say: "I am fascinated by what I will do tomorrow." "While this 75th anniversary gives us the opportunity to look back on what we have done, we are extremely excited about what the next chapter for Salomon will be, here in Annecy and around the world," Mr. Fogliato added. "Today, Salomon is focused on maintaining our leadership in trail running and winter sports, and on reaching new, younger participants in outdoor sports who have discovered the brand through hiking, running, and our SportStyle footwear in 91 countries worldwide."  

As part of its retrospective on 75 years in the outdoor world, Salomon released a four-part YouTube series that traces the key chapters of the brand's history to date.

The first episode looks back at Salomon's 75 years of innovation in winter sports, with industry-disrupting creations in skiing such as the 747 binding, the 1080 ski, and the S/LAB Shift binding.

The second episode covers the company's achievements in the free action sports era of the 2000s, which includes boardsports, rollerblading, and wingsuit flying. 

In episode 3, viewers see how Salomon ignited communities with activities like Ski Cross, Jib Academy, Salomon TV, and Adventure Racing in the early 2000s. The fourth and final episode explains how Salomon's risk-taking mindset helped build the sport of trail running from its inception and how the brand became the world leader in the sport today.

The series features interviews with current and former employees as well as legendary Salomon athletes, who have always been an integral part of the brand's DNA and continue to play a huge role in product development.

Many moments reviewed in the YouTube series were captured along the way by Salomon TV, which began in 2007 as Salomon Freeski TV and changed the way brands developed content around their athletes and sports. The franchise evolved to cover all sports in Salomon's portfolio and address topics such as the environment and politics through the lens of sport and athletes. During its 16 years of existence, Salomon TV episodes have won numerous awards at film festivals and amassed more than 114 million views and over 5 million hours of watch time. 

In recent years, the brand has also taken a number of sustainability commitments and achievements. By 2030, Salomon will reduce its carbon emissions by 30% and, by 2025, 100% of its products will be designed according to circular economy principles. These commitments have resulted in products like the Index.01 recyclable running shoe and a new ski touring range for winter 2022-23 that implements recycled materials.