Geox Respira — the company that patented “the shoe that breathes” — is applying its heat-release philosophy to apparel.
The Montebelluna, Italy-based design firm wants to leverage its reputation in footwear into jackets, which launch globally for spring 2007.
“In many European countries Geox is the leading brand in shoes, and we want to repeat that experience with our apparel,” said Mario Moretti Polegato, president and founder of Geox. “Geox is different because our business model is based on our technology. Our rubber sole patent for our shoes is unique because it stops hygienic problems that can be associated with rubber soles. We want to make people’s lives better.”
Geox has patented a transpiration system for jackets. At the lab at Geox headquarters, Polegato said his employees discovered the shoulder area creates heat and releases sweat. Inspired by what Polegato calls “a chimney effect” of body heat rising, Geox perforated its jacket in the shoulder area.
The jackets wholesale for $200. Geox started selling them in Italy in 2003, and apparel now makes up 5 percent of sales, amounting to about one million units. For spring 2007, Geox jackets will go global, retailing alongside the brand’s shoes.
Worldwide, Geox sells in 68 countries at 500 freestanding stores and 10,000 independent retailers. In the U.S., it has 11 Geox stores and sells to 350 independent retailers.
Geox started in 1995 and in the last decade has enjoyed an average annual growth rate of more than 30 percent, becoming the top-selling footwear brand in Italy, according to the company. Geox projects it will sell 16 million pairs of shoes this year, up from 13 million last year, 9 million in 2004, 6 million in 2003, and 4.5 million in 2002.
Polegato projects apparel will ultimately match footwear sales in revenue terms.
“When we started selling our shoes 10 or 11 years ago, we started from zero, but today Geox is an international brand with a large fidelity from the consumer,” he said. “This technology has the possibility to develop really fast, and I predict there will be double-digit growth in the future.”