Salomon
Amer Sports · France
Salomon is a French outdoor sports brand founded in Annecy in 1947, known for trail running shoes, winter sports equipment and, more recently, sneakers adopted by fashion. It is owned by Amer Sports, the NYSE-listed group in which China's Anta Sports is the largest shareholder.
| Founded | 1947, Annecy |
|---|---|
| Founder | François Salomon |
| Owner | Amer Sports (since 2005) |
| Headquarters | Annecy area, France |
| Former owner | adidas (1997 to 2005) |
| Website | salomon.com |
What is Salomon?
Salomon makes footwear, apparel and equipment for trail running, hiking, climbing, skiing and snowboarding. It is one of the core brands of Amer Sports, alongside Arc'teryx, Wilson and Atomic. Salomon is a premium partner of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
History
François Salomon founded the company in Annecy in the French Alps in 1947, and his son Georges developed it into an international outdoor sports brand. Adidas bought the Salomon Group in 1997, forming adidas-Salomon AG, and sold it to Amer Sports in 2005 for 485 million euros. In 2019 a consortium led by Anta Sports took control of Amer Sports, which listed on the New York Stock Exchange in February 2024. The company once also produced inline skates, a category it has not pursued in recent years, and today it concentrates on mountain and trail sports.
Products and positioning
- Trail running shoes and apparel
- Hiking footwear
- Ski boots, bindings and winter sports equipment
- Sportstyle sneakers such as the XT-6
Since around 2023, Salomon's technical shoes have been widely adopted in fashion as part of the gorpcore trend, and the brand regularly collaborates with fashion and design partners.
Business model and distribution
Salomon sells through outdoor and sporting goods retailers, fashion boutiques, its own stores and e-commerce in more than 40 countries. It also invests heavily in sport marketing through trail races, the Golden Trail Series and its content channel Salomon TV, and its athletes have won major races such as UTMB in Chamonix.
Why it matters
Salomon is a leading example of a technical outdoor brand that has crossed into fashion without losing its sporting credibility. Its growth within Amer Sports also illustrates how outdoor brands have become a strategic focus for global sportswear groups. Its 2026 collaboration with Carpet Company on the limited-edition XT-Whisper Void is a recent example of this crossover between outdoor equipment and fashion culture.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Salomon?
Salomon is owned by Amer Sports, which bought it from adidas in 2005. Amer Sports is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and Anta Sports is its largest shareholder.
Is Salomon a French brand?
Yes. Salomon was founded in Annecy in the French Alps in 1947 and is still based in the Annecy area, although its parent company Amer Sports has its headquarters in Helsinki.