For our “Patents world” section, the story of how a winemaker became a successful entrepreneur, inventing “breathable” shoes and bringing his brand on the top by protecting through patents his technical solution. Is the story of Mario Moretti Polegato, founder and chairman of GEOX : Italy’s largest shoe making company and one of the world’s largest casual footwear brands.
In the following video, developed by the WIPO, the Geox funder explains his invention and how patents and innovation improved his company profile.
His invention is simple and at the same time revolutionary: it consists on applying to the leather sole a membrane with over a billion holes per square centimeters, which facilitate the passage of the air, but not humidity.
As he says, 90% of population is using rubber soles, with all the hygiene consequences it brings: Geox solved these problems, and now the potential of this technology is unlimited.
The patent has been one of the fundamental element for the Geox success, especially by protecting the technical solution from the competence, together with Italian design and style. “In the globalization market now it is fundamental” says Moretti “Intellectual property protect your brand, your technology and your company”.
Geox always continued to invest in innovation and has filed over 40 patents as a result of the policy of strong enhancement of technological innovation.
If you are curious, here you can find the publication of one of his patents: ES-2212569_T3 , and for more information on Geox history we recommend you this article: “Fashion meets innovation: the Geox patents case“.
