British shoe company Terra Plana, through its Vivobarefoot brand, last Friday committed $2.8 million in sponsorship to the Jamaica Combined Martial Arts Team and the local martial arts circuit.

The sponsorship will run for two years and could be extended, depending on the level of support the shoe receives here.

Vivobarefoot describes itself as a pioneer of the barefoot movement. Its website says that it launched the first minimalist shoe with a patented, ultra-thin puncture-resistant sole that offers maximum sensory feedback and maximum protection.

“This was driven by the knowledge that 70 per cent of your brain’s information for movement comes from the nerves on the soles of your feet. The more you can feel the ground, the greater your body’s understanding of its surroundings and natural movement,” the company’s website says.

The sponsorship was announced at a press conference last Friday at the Sports Development Foundation office on Phoenix Avenue in Kingston.

“This is a rebranding process, and this season we will be known as the Vivobarefoot Fighters and also highlight Vivobarefoot,” said Jason McKay, captain of the Jamaica Combined Martial Arts Team.

He said that in addition to the male and female combined teams, Vivobarefoot was looking at getting involved with other sports.

McKay explained that under the sponsorship, $800,000 will go towards sponsoring the local Martial Arts League, while $2,000,000 will be used to fund a 20-member team to the ISK Martial Arts tournament in the USA in July.

In addition, Vivobarefoot will also brand the team with footwear.

McKay expressed appreciation to Vivobarefoot, especially because, he said, it is very difficult to attract sponsorship for martial arts in Jamaica.

In fact, he said that this was the third time in 10 years that an international company has chosen to sponsor the Jamaica Martial Arts Combined Team or local martial arts in general.

John Isaacs, Vivobarefoot representative in Jamaica, explained that the brand is manufactured by Clarks, which has a strong history and tradition in Jamaica.

“Shoes made by Clarks are worn by all our celebrities,” he said. “When this sponsorship idea was brought up, Clarks realised that Brand Jamaica is strong and the Combined Martial Arts team is number one, and we wanted to be associated with a number one brand.

“We are not looking only at martial arts, but at other non-traditional sports as well. We will, however, be making those announcements later on. But for the time being, it is a very good idea to visit our website to view our products and let me say that these products are geared not only for local Jamaicans but Jamaicans abroad,” Isaacs added.