Geox Shoes
Company History
Geox is an Italian brand of shoes which uses a patented technology of small holes in the sole of the shoe which allows air out, but serves as a barrier to water from the outside. Its slogan is "Geox, the shoes that breathe."
The company was founded in the 1990’s by Mario Moretti Polegto. The brand name, Geox, comes from a mixture between the Greek word "geo" (earth, on which we all walk), and "x", a letter-element symbolizing technology.
Mario Moretti Polegato was Born in 1952 near Treviso. Originally destined to take over the family wine-making business, legend has it the idea for the shoe came while at a wine industry conference. His feet were very hot while out jogging so he had the idea to cut a couple of holes in the sole of his shoes.
He developed the idea into a viable product with the help of a small leather-goods business his family owned. The first shoes with a perforated sole were born, letting the foot breathe but preventing water from penetrating.
When he discovered that there was not much interest in his idea within the established shoemaking industry, Polegato established his own company to design, develop and manufacture the shoes.