A couple of days ago we Tweeted out something that we thought was pretty simple and would be ignored by most, but instead we were blown away by a bunch of responses and reactions. Because of how many people weighed in on this, we thought we’d share this on the site as well. The Tweet was:
[blackbirdpie url=”https://twitter.com/#!/MyFiveFingers/status/127411696263368704″]
Apparently pronunciation of Vibram is a hot topic, and quite a few people realized from that Tweet that they’d been saying it wrong. For instance:
[blackbirdpie url=”https://twitter.com/#!/emily_g_kennedy/status/127418807353479168″]
[blackbirdpie url=”https://twitter.com/#!/HoltTrenor/status/127421758931349504″]
The most common mispronunciation we hear is people calling it ‘V – eye – brum’. This was a funny response we received along those lines:
[blackbirdpie url=”https://twitter.com/#!/thetk42one/status/127412023343587328″]
I’m sure we’ve all heard various pronunciations of Vibram; my personal favorite is contained in this video below which I stumbled across while doing some research on Fila Skeletoes.
So, what do you say? Have you been saying it wrong all along? Or have you had it nailed since the beginning?
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I have been saying it wrong. It is going to be hell to retrain myself now.
I said it wrong for years, even before FiveFingers. Used to wear boots with Vy-bram soles… Oops.
So it’s Vibram themselves clarifying the pronunciation, is it? No matter; it’s always been Vy-bram to me, and it’ll stay that way in my head. Vee-bram just sounds wrong. As long as “vibrate” starts with “vy”, so will “Vibram”, in this little corner of my universe.
Hooked on phonics worked for me. VI-tale BRAM-ani (company founder). Think before you speak or you make the world a dumber place.
Vibram isn’t a US founded company.. so their pronunciation is different. the i makes an ‘ee’ sound in almost all other latin languages..
Personally, I’ll call it Vib-Ram from now on..
Funny, I always thought the Vee-brum pronunciation was wrong …. because I have a friend who works at the Quaboag Rubber Factory in North Brookfield MA where they make Vibram soles, and he pronounces it V-eye-brum.
Weird.
Always said Vy-brum… till I called their customer service one day, and heard it pronounced correctly.
I said it wrong until I went to the main vibram site and watched a video showing how to size my feet before buying a pair. The employee in the hvide clearly said “VEE-brum” so I’ve been saying it that way ever since. =)
That guy in the video says it wrong a million different ways– SO annoying, haha. I said it wrong for a couple months and when I found out the correct pronunciation I immediately retained myself!
Retrained*
Yeah, he makes me laugh. He says he has 8 pairs, too…
I’m from Australia and I’ve always said it “Vee-br’m” myself but then I’ve always known they were Italian and being slightly cultured had always figured this was the case. I also know that many American’s speak (and write) a bastardised version of the english language, so I have a habit of being dubious with such things!
No offence to any yanks out there, just saying! :)
Haha, from the very first time seeing the word, i knew it was pronounced vee-brum, not vy-brum. At least no one can tell me I’m pronouncing it wrong anymore!
I go back in forth between vee-bram and v – eye – brum. To me it’s not a big deal.
Just like Ikea. However, the top US marketing person for Ikea wanted it pronouced Eye Kia, unlike EE Kea in the rest of the world. I thought a radio announcer didn’t know better, so I chased down their marketing people and got the scoop. They had to justify their position somehow. Names do change. Who says Sevilla instead of Seville? I try to stick with the original where I know how.
I totally said it right from the beginning.
I just can’t will myself to say veebrum. It reads wrong, it sounds wrong…
You’re so cool.
I have always said it right…read Born to Run, he includes the pronunciation in the chapter on Barefoot Ted. The salespeople at the running stores always pronounce it wrong though, and I never felt like correcting them. Get them pronouncing it right and everyone else will follow! Thanks for clarifying, now I have more back-up for my pronounciation!
So I guess the barefoot models are pronounced FEEV FEENGERS?
I used to say it wrong until I was planning a trip to Italy and somehow found out it is an Italian company. So when I was there I was looking for a certain European only model (which no one had near where we were because it was winter and they only get new stock in the spring and fall). I kept asking for “Veebrum” with the “r” rolled like they do but no one knew it by that name. When I showed them my shoes, they said, “Oh, FiveFINGers,” with the emphasis on the “fing.”
GOOD ONE !!!!!!!!!!!!
GOOD ONE !!!!!!!!!!!
I too have pronounced it correctly, but I will give credit to the FOOTZONE of BEND Oregon store..that’s where I purchased my first pair ( KSO TREK )..
It’s an Italian company, but feel free to think that English and Merica are the only things in the universe. Completely shocking that an American would fit everything into their perspective.
Actually, as it’s Italian, it’s pronounced “vee-brahm” not brum. The particular “a” sound should be the same one you use when you say “auto”
So I should call my car a Volksvagen and call Milan Milano because that is what they are called in their home countries?
No. “Auto” is “aw”. Vibram is “ah”.
Actually, it’s “Folksvagen”. It means the people’s car in German.
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