Red Wing, MN – June 16, 2008 – Outdoor footwear manufacturer Vasque announces today the release of its latest line of performance-driven shoes. The highly technical Spring 2009 collection, which includes many lighter, faster styles and a number of women’s-specific shoes, features new models designed to meet the needs of everyone from full-fledged adventure racers to city-slicker urbaneers.

“Our line-up this year is easily our most impressive yet,” says Vasque marketing director Sarah Pitts. “We worked really hard to push the envelope with 2009 and deliver a collection that is truly fresh and unique. Throughout Vasque’s forty plus years of existence the brand has always strived to offer leading solutions in outdoor footwear – this year we’ve really extended that mission to step beyond innovation norms.”

“The key to Vasque’s success is our longstanding commitment to including top-quality design, construction, and features in each and every shoe,” says Pitts. “Spring 2009 is no different in that respect, but it is noteworthy for the specific shoes Vasque will offer.”

The Vasque line-up will include women’s shoes built specifically for a woman’s foot, from the last up. They will also spotlight new amphibious-based shoes; Watergate Tech and Hydrocity Tech for big and small adventurers who transition between dry and wet conditions. Lastly, and in a class entirely of its own, is the Equalizer, an approach shoe with a sticky rubber outsole and unique zonal closure systems perfect for the avid climber. The Equalizer offers incredible performance attributes for hiking, rock climbing, yet the cutting-edge styling will also suit the demands of a trend-driven, fashion-oriented audience.

The collection also marks the extension of Vasque’s latest technologies and vast improvements on core ingredients to provide lighter and faster shoes across all categories, from trail running to hiking. Expanding on its award-winning 2008 line (the Vasque Aether Tech won Outside magazine’s “2008 Gear of the Year Award”), it features new models designed to meet runners’ needs in three specific categories: performance, endurance, and adventure. Vasque’s Performance trail runners, including the Celerator and Momenta, are lightweight and made for speed. Its Endurance shoes, including the new Blur SL, are custom-designed for mid- to long-distance runs. And its Adventure line, including the quick-draining Hydrocity Tech shoe, is built to handle the varied conditions trail runners often experience.

For an up-close look at Vasque’s 2009 women’s-specific line, which includes trail-runners, cross-over models, and even a light-hiker, join Vasque and women’s apparel maker SkirtSports on August 6, 2008 for the SkirtChaser Trail Run. The race will be held at Pineview Reservoir and begins at 4 pm. For a preview of Vasque’s complete Spring 2009 line, visit booth 24001 at the Outdoor Retailer show on August 8^th – 11th.

Based in Red Wing, MN, Vasque is a leading manufacturer of performance outdoor footwear. For more information about Vasque’s products and retailers, visit www.vasque.com.