Geox

Geox is an Italian brand of shoe and clothing manufactured with waterproof/breathable fabrics. The company was founded in 1995 by Mario Polegato. The brand name, Geox, was created from a mixture between the Greek word “geo” (earth), and “x”, a letter-element symbolizing technology. Polegato was born in 1952 near Treviso. Originally groomed to take over the family wine-making business, company promotional material has it the idea for the shoe came when he participated in a wine industry conference in Reno; while out jogging in Reno's hot desert climate, his feet got hot from the exertion and he had the idea to cut a couple of holes in the soles of his shoes with a Swiss Army knife. He developed the idea into a viable product with the help of a small leather-goods business his family owned. After unsuccessfully pitching his invention to several established footwear manufacturers, but after having passed the market testing phase for a line of children’s footwear, Polegato began 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.