A journey of over 100 years, started in Turin and making its way to every part of the world. A timeless style icon since 1911.
1911
Walter Martiny, a Swiss engineer who became an Italian citizen, founded “Walter Martiny Industria Gomma” in Turin at the foot of Superga hill. The company specialized in boots and other vulcanized rubber goods, using the technology patented by Charles Goodyear in 1844.
1925
Martiny creates the first Italian tennis shoes with vulcanized rubber soles, now the model 2750. Inspired by his wife, who has a passion for tennis, he uses rubber instead of rope, which wears out quickly, producing the sole with the famous “orange peel” tread, durable and nonslip.
1951
Superga became part of the Pirelli group, marking a significant turning point for the company. Thanks to this collaboration, production capacity grew rapidly, increasing from 2 to 12 million pairs of shoes per year by 1975, solidifying the brand as a key player in the footwear industry.
1966
The Pirella Göttsche Lowe agency create the commercial Superga. Si odia. O si ama (The Challenge), made famous by Firestarter, a song by the British musical group The Prodigy, which was chosen to accompany it.
1970
To position itself in the sports footwear market, Superga begins to support a series of athletes. Claudio Sala, Adriano Panatta, and Ivan Lendl, among others, become ambassadors of the Superga Sport line, recognizable by the swallowtail logo.
2007
BasicNet acquires the brand. In a short time, Superga is again “The Italian Brand of Informal Footwear” worldwide, in the role of the “People’s Shoes of Italy.” Under its new ownership, Superga collaborates with various fashion brands – Comme des Garçons, Versus Versace, Philosophy, Alanui, Alaia – creating successful co-branding projects.
The historical Assets are courtesy of Basic Gallery - BasicNet’s historical archive.
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