Dalbello History
THE BEGINNING IN THE 1960’S
BACK TO ITALY
Although Dalbello began producing ski boots in 1974, founders Alessandro and Giovanna Dal Bello perfected their trade as ski boot building “artisans” at the Henke ski boot factory in Switzerland in the early 1960’s. upon returning to Italy with their new, young family, they started stitching leather ski boot uppers for Henke under contract. “Although we were happy to be back in Italy, as contract component manufacturers, we were limited in our ability to showcase our real talents as ski boot craftsmen.
We knew that our ideas and creativity were not being efficiently utilized, and we were confident that we could make a better business producing ski boots on our own” said Alessandro Dal Bello, CEO. So, that’s exactly what they did. The first Dalbello ski boots were sold in Austria in 1974.
THE 1970'S
THE FIRST DALBELLO SKI BOOTS
The 70’s was an incredible decade for the ski industry.
New ideas and breakthrough technologies were the norm as innovative new designs in skis, boots, binding, clothing, and after ski articles hit the market.
Dalbello and its engineers were key contributors to this technological revolution, as the times encouraged taking risks and pushing the developmental envelope. The defining moment of the ski boot business in the 70’s was the ultimate transformation from leather to plastic.
THE 80'S
THE FIRST STEPS IN RACING
During the 80's, the high quality standards and the exceptional fit of dalbello ski boots gave rise to its presence in select international markets.
The first steps were in the race market.
Dal Bello hired three internationally renowned skiers to promote its brand. They were Steve McKinney, whose victories included 2 world speed records in 1977 (195 km/h) and in 1982 (201 km/h), Tom Simons & Paul Bushman, who completed the podium in 1982 in Cervinia.
THE 90'S
STRONG COMMERCIAL SUCCESS
It was at the beginning of the 90s that Dalbello began to achieve commercial success in the most important markets: North America, Germany and Austria. From there, they were able to develop a homogeneous network of distributors throughout the rest of the world. From there, Dalbello developed a homogeneous network of distributors in all the other countries of the world; from Japan to Australia and throughout the rest of europe.
"Our team of designers and sales managers worked hard together to develop a product which was different from all the rest in terms of technology, quality of the materials, comfort, lightness and easy fit". 1997 saw the arrival of the Carvex Series, the first and only ski boot designed specifically for carving. Extensive research and collaboration with athletes and our test team, allowed Dalbello to develop a ski boot that featured a smooth, progressive flex with increased lateral support.
THE 00'S
FREESKIING
The new millennium ushered in a new skiing attitude complete with a "freeskiing" lifestyle.
All the old rules were broken and Dalbello's Rider Development Program (RDP) was born. RDP was the brainchild of the legendary skier, Glen Plake. The RDP initiative brought professional skiers together with Dalbello R&D engineers to create the best performing ski boots in the world.
RDP initiated the drive to make the most innovative and unique ski boots in the world. During this time, the RDP team grew to include such legends as: XGames Champ, Tanner Hall, Olympic Medalists, Nick Goepper & Kevin Rolland, as well as Russ Henshaw, McCrae Williams, and many more.
2014
13.000.000 PAIRS OF SKI BOOTS
Alessandro Dal Bello has never looked back, having grown the company by continually investing in new technologies and skilled personnel who have been challenged to develop better and more creative ski boot designs.
“The year 2014 marks a very special achievement in dalbello’s history” says Alessandro Dal Bello “This year, we will produce our 13.000.000 pairs of ski boots. And because consumer satisfaction is a key factor by which we measure our success, we challenge ourselves to bring the best products to the market. This is reflected in the wide range of awards Dalbello gets every year”.