Lovers of stylish footwear who suffer from hot, stuffy feet have reason to celebrate this week as Geox, the Italian maker of shoes that "breathe" opened a shop on Queen's Road Central.
Mario Moretti Polegato, the president and founder of Geox, made the trip from Italy and addressed the smiling crowd. In the audience was Canadian-born shoe designer Patrick Cox and popular TVB actress Tavia Yeung Yi.
With all of the fanfare you would have thought that this was the first Geox store in Hong Kong.
Still, Polegato was overheard saying that the store would be the company's flagship retail outlet in the city and an important part of its expansion into Asia in general.
The new shop is in fact just one of many in Geox's growing global empire. There are 1,250 Geox stores in five countries, with nine already open in Hong Kong. The company doesn't appear to have any plans to slow down; Polegato says 10 more stores will open in Hong Kong in the next year.
Guests gushed about their favourite Geox shoes. The brand has become a hit as it manages to be light and comfortable without sacrificing style.