Mario Moretti Polegato, the man who invented the Geox breathing soles, was the host of an exclusive breakfast today in Lisbon. The occasion was there to celebrate the opening of a new store in the heart of the Portuguese capital, adding up to the remaining 22 stores in the country, along with 11.000 sale points in Portugal. In his speech, the Geox president restated his intention to continue investing in Portugal with the help of his Portuguese partners and to continue his relentless quest for innovation. “We all can make shoes, but we have to able to make a difference” he said, after having explained how he came up with the idea of making breathing soles and after explaing how he has managed to transfer this technology to garment making. Mr Polegato is very keen on delivering his message particularly to the young but also for he business community. He is a regular presence in major events from Davos to unviversity forums where he shares is success formula.

The Lisbon store opening fits in his strategy to increase the number of stores worldwide, particularly in Asia where the brand has been opening numerous stores. Aside from shoes, Geox, the number one shoemaker in Italy and one of the leading world players in this sector, has been focusing also on breathing garments, a important addition to his shoe portfolio which now comprises breathing and wateproof shoes and shoes specialily developed for Formula 1 pilots and motorbike racers. The range of garments can be found in all Geox stores and fits in the brand’s strategy to offer a whole range of fashion products with Italian touch.