An international jury of design experts presented the prestigious Red Dot Product Design Award to the highly successful tandem of Alpina and design studio Jure Miklavc for the design of the innovative Elite 3.0 nordic ski boots.

Alpina is a globally recognized Slovenian company manufacturing and marketing footwear. For its creative and technologically innovative footwear, it has received the Red Dot Award for the fourth time. This year the award went to the entire Alpina Elite 3.0 family of nordic ski boots, consisting of SKATE, CLASSIC and DUATHLON models.

This product is a long-standing result of the efforts of Alpina's developers and technologists, especially their project manager Robert Križnar, in collaboration with the industrial designer Jure Miklavac. He commented: “The whole design process for identifying a new shoe took more than a year. In the project, we focused on the system design of the entire group of nordic ski boots. Elite 3.0 is one of the most recognizable products in the world market, so all the changes needed to be very thoughtful. Regardless, the shoe is riddled with innovations. Before designing each new generation, we ask ourselves again precisely all the features and needs. A lot of prototypes were made during the development process. The decision to use the new innovative cover meant a major functional upgrade that allows breathing and through development we found the opportunity for completely new design solutions. The end result combines functional superiority, unique design, thoughtful detailing, and strong worldwide recognition. ”

“At Alpina, we have worked very hard to really allow all cross-country skiers (professional and recreational) to run in shoes that will be something special, while meeting all the demands that cross-country skiing places on a complex and demanding product, such as top-notch cross-country ski boots. We believe that we have managed to unite all these demands with ELITE 3.0,” adds Alpina's product manager Robert Križnar.

Recognized by the renowned German design organization Design Zentrum Nordrhein, the Elite 3.0 is one of the chosen revolutionary products among 6,500 entries from 60 countries for the prestigious Red Dot Award. 

What makes Elite 3.0 winning shoes so special? 

Behind Elite 3.0 hides the lightest and most responsive cross-country ski boots in the world. For the first time in the world of nordic ski racing the circulation of air enables the foot to remain dry and keeps the power kick at maximum. They are more environmentally friendly too since they are the first boots made without the use of PVC materials and replacing them with more eco-friendly solutions.

The Elite 3.0 range excels in extreme fit, stability, and lightness of the boot, allowing athletes to optimize the use of energy and ski velocity. These boots are made of state-of-art technological material and top-quality component parts. Light carbon-composite is used to increase lateral and torsion stability. Carefully selected gaiter material guarantees water resistance and breathability. The inner lacing system provides a better fit and even distribution of force throughout the foot. Particular emphasis was placed on building strong brand recognition through a bold graphic identity. The Elite 3.0 design was developed by listening closely to top-level racers. The Red Dot award is of great importance to Alpina, as it has reaffirmed that the company is on the right track - in terms of development, technology, and design. And this is best evidenced by world-class athletes such as Stina Nilsson, Linn Svahn, Hans Christer Holund and many others who have already won gold medals in world-class competitions in Alpina’s award-winning shoes.

About the Red Dot award 

In order to appraise the diversity in the field of design in a professional manner, the Red Dot Design Award breaks down into the three disciplines of Red Dot Award: Product Design, Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design and Red Dot Award: Design Concept. With more than 18,000 entries, the Red Dot Award is one of the world’s largest design competitions. In 1955, a jury convened for the first time to assess the best designs of the day. In the 1990s, Red Dot CEO Professor Dr. Peter Zec developed the name and brand of the award. Ever since the sought-after distinction “Red Dot” has been the revered international seal of outstanding design quality. More information is available at www.red-dot.de.