Geox Respira

founded by

Mario Moretti Polegato

belongs to

Mario Moretti Polegato

about

Geox is an Italian brand of shoe and apparel manufactured utilising waterproof/breathable fabrics.

The company was founded in 1995 by Mario Moretti Polegato. The brand name, Geox, was created from a mixture between the Greek word �geo� (earth, on which we all walk), and �x�, a letter-element symbolizing technology.

Geox, creates, produces, promotes and distributes innovative, patented products all over the world. It operates in the men�s, women�s and children�s classic, casual, sports and fashion sectors.

The Geox group has constantly invested in innovation, ever since it was founded. Its Montebelluna head offices are host to R&D facilities, which are unique in their kind. Here, 15 engineers, chemists and physicists are employed in research on perspiration and human-generated heat-movement patterns, testing all materials used in their footwear and manufacturing apparel.

The Montebelluna based team of scientists have created and patented new machinery to help them pursue their research. Geox also works with major research labs and universities to test and refine new technology.

Geox's headquarters are in Italy, with factories in Romania, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Brazil, Slovenia, India, Macau, Thailand and South Korea.

Geox is a completely Italian idea with a strong international calling. In recent years the Geox group has grown rapidly around the world and today does business in 103 countries. Its foreign sales amount to 60%, which are realized mainly in Germany, France, Spain.

This exponential success is also due to a careful distribution strategy. To achieve the best possible market penetration abroad, Geox distributes its products through over 10,000 multi-brand points-of-sale and a network of more than 1000 single-brand Geox Shops. The latter being the flagships of the Geox brand in the world�s main cities.

history

During a business trip to Reno, Nevada to promote the family�s wine business at a trade fair, Mario Moretti Polegato decides to take a walk. Bothered by his overheated feet which were clad in rubber-soled shoes, he instinctively punctured holes into the soles to let air through. He had just discovered a simple and effective way to let excess heat out of his shoes.

Mr. Polegato then developed his idea in the workshop of a small footwear company owned by the family. Once this rubber-sole technology was in place he patented the system right away to create the world�s first �breathable shoe�.

After unsuccessfully pitching his invention to several established footwear manufacturers, and after having passed the market testing phase for a line of children�s footwear, Mario Moretti Polegato begins large-scale production of shoes under the Geox brand name. That same year, he improved the original patent and extended the product range to men�s and women�s footwear.

Since 2000 the company was growing fast and constant investments into research lead Geox to discovered new technologies and products. By constantly researching the human body�s perspiration, the Group�s laboratory patents an idea to apply to garments � namely Geox apparel. The project involves applying Geox technology to jackets of all kinds.

And a new era for the Montebelluna-based group begun. That of the �total breathable look�. Shortly after, following a testing phase, Geox went to market in Italy with its own line of patented apparel.

After capitalizing on its Italian success, Geox went after the international market place. Soon enough, every world capital boasted at least one Geox Shop on their main streets and the �breathable shoe� registered excellent sales results. The Montebelluna- based company went down in history as one of Italian industry�s greatest success stories.

In 2001, the Geox Laboratory researchers invented and patent a new technology for healthier feet when using leather-sole. After revolutionizing the market, the Montebelluna-based group, brought forth another novelty: Geox waterproof leather. And so the Geox product range further expanded - on the strength of its innovative qualities and constant evolution of its Italian design found in every one of the collections.

Geox was listed on the Milan Stock Exchange on December 1st, 2004 with remarkable success. The Montebelluna-based footwear Group can boast an enviable growth record: sales up over 30% yearly, millions of pairs of shoes manufactured and sold in every season, and high-end profitability ratios. This led Geox to go the distance, with great acclaim from the international financial community.

On November 16th, 2005 Geox inaugurated its Madison Avenue and 57th Street megastore in New York City.

In 2009, Geox presented the first golf shoes collection which assures waterproof sole and total breathability, enhancing comfort and functionality.

The new collection is characterised by a breathable and water-repellent leather upper and furthermore by a net sole. This net, together with the special Geox membrane, enhances these characteristics, ensuring that the perspiration can evaporate properly and preventing moisture, mud or other external elements from entering the shoe. Thanks to this patented system (Geox NET System technology) the foot remains dry even in the most adverse conditions.

With this new product line, Geox intends to redefine the concept of comfort and to satisfy everyone seeking wellbeing even while practicing golf.

On February 25th, 2010, Geox opened the �Breathing Building� in Milan, its largest and most innovative designer outlet.

In Via Torino on the corner of Piazza Duomo, Geox presented a new forward-looking concept store that was part of a wider-ranging architectural project involving the entire palazzo.

This opening marked a historical moment for Geox, not just because it represents the Group's biggest store in the world, but also because the whole building chosen as the location for this project perfectly expresses and emphasises the company�s values.