Ski boots designer Nicolas Frey receives International Design Award

The ADI Compasso D'Oro award was initially dedicated to Italian designers and producers but was open to the whole world in 2015. This year the ADI Compasso D'Oro international award was held for the second time under the theme «Sport – Performance and Innovation». In this category, the jury sought to award products and services which improve the conditions of physical activity and ensure for comfort, health and well-being of the user.

Out of the 79 entries that were submitted, the expert jury selected ten winners. Among them was Nicolas Frey, founder of Swiss startup DAHU for his Dahu Hades. Nicolas Frey designed the DAHU boot, a high-performance ski boot composed of a very comfortable after-ski boot which, with its removable hard casing, allows skiers to get the very most out of both their skiing and their après-ski activities.

“Ski boots are traditionally uncomfortable yet this one goes against the grain without losing its primary function of keeping the foot in contact with the ski. Dahu has succeeded in re-inventing a product that has not seen substantial innovations for a long time, putting the comfort and convenience of the skier at the heart of the design while maintaining high performance. The ability to separate the boot from the ski in a few seconds has already been developed in the past, but the value of this design is the clear interpretation of two different uses while maintaining the external structure yet making it lighter. The result is a major contribution to the expression of a new language and a wake-up call for the whole industry”, said the award jury.

(RAN)