Vibram soles look like they haven't changed much in last 40 years, and aside from the Five Fingers, really haven't. From Vibram's website..."In 1935, Vitale Bramani led an expedition into the Italian Alps. The climbers used heavy, hobnailed boots for the approach, but then switched to thin-soled rock climbing boots for the assault. These climbing boots proved fatal when the expedition was hit by thick fog and a blizzard. Six climbers died from frostbite and exposure.It was this tragic experience that drove Bramani to create an all-purpose climbing sole: lightweight, long-wearing and flexible. He developed rubber compounds with excellent traction and high abrasion resistance. He designed a new lug sole and called it Vibram®, after his own name."
