Koio

Koio is a modern luxury footwear brand founded in 2014 by Johannes Quodt and Chris Wichert, who met while pursuing MBAs at the Wharton School. The company combines Italian craftsmanship with accessible pricing, partnering with an artisan manufacturer in Florence where each pair of sneakers passes through the hands of 42 craftspeople using locally sourced leathers and suedes. Based in New York City, Koio sells direct-to-consumer, bypassing traditional retail markups to offer premium handcrafted sneakers at a more accessible price than comparable luxury brands.