The outdoor brand’s EMEA social campaign turns hikers’ feet into the focus of its latest footwear launch, with selected participants receiving £135 for images taken on the trail.
Columbia Sportswear has launched F££T FUND, a social campaign offering selected hikers £135 for photographs of their bare feet taken outdoors on a hike.
The campaign marks the launch of Columbia’s new Peakfreak hiking shoes, which the brand describes as its most comfortable hiking shoe to date. The footwear has been developed around cushioning, traction and support intended to keep feet comfortable across long distances and changing terrain.
The campaign uses the online market for feet pictures as its creative starting point. Columbia cites Statista data forecasting the market at €2.3 billion by the end of 2026, while shifting the focus towards the role footwear plays in protecting hikers’ feet.
Creator Campaign Rolls Out Across EMEA
The rollout began on 15 September 2026 with teaser content across TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat. Outdoor creators have also shared screenshots of direct messages from Columbia asking them for pictures of their feet as part of the campaign reveal.
Creator James Norbury has published an unboxing video in which a pair of Peakfreak hiking shoes is removed from its packaging using only feet, including lifting the shoes from the box with toes and peeling back the tissue paper without using hands. The wider creator campaign is running across EMEA markets.
How the F££T FUND Works
To enter F££T FUND, followers are asked to send Columbia a direct message containing a photograph of their bare feet taken outdoors while hiking. Selected entries will receive £135 directly from Columbia, which the brand says is enough to purchase a pair of Peakfreak shoes.
Selected images will also feature in the Hall of Feet, a social gallery created as part of the campaign.
“We designed the new Peakfreak™ to keep hikers comfortable across long journeys, challenging terrains and unpredictable conditions. But instead of talking about our innovations in cushioning, traction and support, we’re shining a spotlight on the thing the shoe is built to protect – your feet.”
Issam Djemel, Europe Footwear Director at Columbia Sportswear
The campaign was developed with creative agency adam&eve\TBWA.
“Hikers proudly share snaps of mountain summits and epic views, but the feet that carried them there rarely get any recognition. The F££T FUND is here to change that. Stepping away from the standard glossy, earnest outdoor ads, Columbia is making a pedicured pivot, once again proving that its gear really is Engineered For Whatever.”
Ant Nelson, Chief Creative Officer at adam&eve\TBWA
Terry Clark is the Publisher and Content Director of 365 Retail, with more than a decade of experience covering retail design, technology innovations, store openings and the wider retail industry. He also works closely with leading retailers, suppliers, agencies, events and industry awards across the UK.
