Glen Herbert
Editor/Writer, Our Kids Media
If there are students wearing GEOX shoes as part of their school uniform—and there are very many who are—they have Akosa Castro to thank. She’s the buyer for GEOX Canada. “I’m the one who goes to Italy every season,” she tells me by phone, the one “who takes a look at the product assortment there, and narrows it down to the Canadian assortment.”
For a company of this size, the operational team is remarkably lean. Castro is the only buyer for the nation. When I ask who someone from a school would contact in order to explore options and place orders, she says “that’s Mani.” Mobin "Mani" Ur Rehman is the head of wholesale for Canada, and works out of the Toronto office.
There are regional reps and 19 retail outlets across Canada, but GEOX still feels personal, a boutique among big-box stores and suppliers. It has always been an alternative, a unique blend of Italian fashion, utility, and innovative technology. The company famously began with a hiking trip to Nevada in the early 1990s. Founder Mario Moretti Polegato wanted something comfortable, durable, dry, and which looked good too. He patented a design for a breathable sole that would keep moisture out while letting moisture escape Today, it’s in all GEOX products, from sneakers to boots.
The Amphibiox Collection—one Castro believes sets Geox apart in the Canadian market —includes that technology too. She points out that you can see the holes in the soles. The collection also includes a newer technology to augment it, an additional waterproof membrane that extends beyond the outsole. “You can picture it as kind of a sock lining within the shoe that protects against water,” she says. “It’s impermeable.” Some of the styles and designs look impermeable—there are high-top boots for rain, others with insulation and soles for wear in the snow—though many don’t. The Tonale is a men’s basketball shoe. The Felicity is a women’s boot that takes its inspiration from a tall riding boot. In the kids’ lines there are Mary Janes to snow boots, plie slippers to dress shoes. All share the same core attributes that Polegato was looking for all those years ago: comfortable, durable, dry, and fashionable.
That last—the fashion that the brand is known for—was Castro’s draw to the company, and is one of the reasons that private and independent schools are drawn as well. “Our uniform collection is vast,” says Castro, and includes a range of materials, including waterproof leather. There are varied linings, making some models good for more than one season. But they also have a range of looks, from sporty to formal and everything in between. “They are comfortable, flexible, and lightweight. The leathers are rich.” There are non-marking outsoles, and notably competitive pricing. “And the fact that GEOX is an Italian footwear company,” contributes to the value proposition as well. “You know you’re coming from the best quality craftsmanship and design.”
The uniform footwear is a core program, with new entries for each season. Some styles to look out for this year? Castro points to the Naimara, which sold out in retail stores pretty much instantly, but is available to partnering schools. It’s a new, classic look. For boys, a favourite is the Savage, which combines wear with a sporty look that, in all black, pairs well with school uniforms.
In all, they check the boxes that schools want—style, look—as well as the ones that parents do—quality and comfort. And, unlike other companies, they work closely with private schools, so when you can call them, they call back. Win, win, win.
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| Sonya Scodellaro | |
| 647-982-4369 | |
| [email protected] | |
| geox.com/en-CA/ |
