Mario Moretti Polegato
Founder and chairman of Geox
Mario Moretti Polegato is the Italian entrepreneur who founded Geox around a patented breathing shoe sole and built it into an international footwear and apparel brand based in Montebelluna. He is chairman of Geox and, through his holding company LIR, also controls the sportswear brand Diadora.
| Role | Founder and chairman, Geox |
|---|---|
| Born | 1952, Italy |
| Founded | Geox (1995) |
| Headquarters | Montebelluna, Italy |
| Listed | Milan stock exchange, 2004 |
Who is Mario Moretti Polegato?
Mario Moretti Polegato, born in 1952, is the founder and chairman of Geox, the Italian footwear and clothing company headquartered in Montebelluna in the Veneto region. He grew up in a family active in agriculture and winemaking and studied oenology before turning to footwear. He is widely cited as an example of an entrepreneur who built a brand around a technical patent rather than around a designer.
Career
Moretti Polegato's idea was to produce a shoe that breathes: a rubber sole that lets perspiration escape while keeping water out. Having patented the concept, he founded Geox, which the company dates to 1995, to make and sell shoes using the technology. The principle was later extended to apparel using breathable and waterproof fabrics.
- 1995: Geox founded in Montebelluna
- 2002: named Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst and Young
- 2004: Geox listed on the Milan stock exchange
- 2009: his holding company LIR acquires the sportswear brand Diadora
Geox grew into an international brand sold through its own stores, franchise partners and wholesale customers. Moretti Polegato remains chairman of the listed company, with day-to-day management in the hands of a chief executive. Diadora is managed by his son Enrico.
Influence on the fashion business
Geox showed that a mid-market footwear brand could differentiate itself through a clearly communicated technical benefit, protected by patents, rather than through seasonal design trends alone. The company's marketing, built around the promise of breathable shoes, made a functional feature the core of the brand. Its location in Montebelluna, a historic district for sports and outdoor footwear, also connects Geox to one of Italy's most important manufacturing clusters.
Why it matters
Moretti Polegato's career is frequently used as a case study in innovation-led brand building. It illustrates how intellectual property and a simple consumer promise can turn a small company into a listed international brand, and it shows the continuing role of founding families in the governance of Italian fashion and footwear companies. His control of Diadora, an established Italian sportswear name acquired through LIR in 2009, extends that family influence into performance and lifestyle footwear as well.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Mario Moretti Polegato?
Mario Moretti Polegato is the Italian entrepreneur who founded the footwear brand Geox. He is chairman of the company and also controls Diadora through his holding company LIR.
What is Geox known for?
Geox is known for its patented breathing sole, which lets perspiration escape while keeping water out. The company later applied the same principle to clothing.