Ambidextrous Since 1969

In partnership with Moon Boot
Photography
Mattia Parodi Set Design Alina Totaro Text Robin Sara Stauder

There was a time when all shoes had a right and a left. However, in 1969, Moon Boot founder Giancarlo Zanatta had the idea that forever changed the apres-ski footwear industry: the first ambidextrous snow boot—a celebration of the natural symmetry of the world and the individuality of each human being.

As children, we soon discover that the human body is full of pairs. Two eyes, two ears, two hands, two feet… Even those that seem singular—the nose—contain a form of pair within them—the nostrils. We are used to it, but it’s a bit strange if we think about it.

As we grow up, we realise that two eyes give us a wider vision of the world and that we can do many more things with two hands. However, when learning to write, most of us will discover that those seemingly identical hands are actually different, and only with one can we hold the pen properly. It will be unsettling to learn of this imperfect symmetry, which we will soon discover is not the only one. Indeed, many seemingly straightforward movements will only work well in one direction. Most of us will end up blaming the weaker side. They will neglect it a bit as punishment, to the point of actually making it less important than the other.

As adults, we learn the power of those pairs that once seemed redundant and find it strange to have, for example, only one navel. We learn to respect the symmetry of our bodies even when we wake up more crooked than usual, and we understand that steps are taken one after the other.

But what if even our clothes were not discriminatory towards those minor differences? It would be a Moon Boot world.

Since 1969, Moon Boot has celebrated design and comfort by offering freedom of movement that recalls the one of those who see no difference between right and left. Ambidextrous people are believed to have greater cognitive flexibility, making them more suited to a wide range of situations. In this, they are also more inclined to problem-solving and endowed with excellent motor skills, without distinctions between one side and the other. In sports, ambidextrous athletes have a strategic advantage that can take them far.

The same applies to Moon Boot, a pair of icons since 1969. Between them, there is no difference. Few other objects can boast the same flexibility. Socks, flippers, armbands… But Moon Boot, more than any, has made that lack of distinction between right and left its hallmark. It has done so by offering pairs of identical products that are unexpectedly perfect for each foot, breaking down traditional preconceptions. The same concept is applied not only to its historical models but also to the new ones.

With Moon Boot, every step is equal to the other—and it doesn’t matter which will be the first. The important is to take it.