An ever-increasing weight of foreign markets, a single-brand store in Padua by 2025 and a growth in turnover for the current year of between 7 and 10 percent: these are the objectives of Valsport, the historic sneaker brand, present at Pitti Uomo, an event that ends today at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence. As Siro Toniolo, president of Rewind Valsport, told FashionUnited, “we plan to open a single-brand store in Padua and we would like the store to host a sort of museum with the sports shoes that have made the Valsport brand famous throughout the world.”
The Valsport brand was born in 1920
The Valsport brand was born in 1920 from an idea by Antonio Valle who, as an eighteen-year-old from Padua, started a footwear and sports equipment company. In a few years the company became one of the national sports footwear manufacturers. Valsport footwear was worn by the great football champions of the sixties and seventies and Valsport became the official sponsor of international teams.
In 2016 Valsport was taken over by the Padua-based company Rewind Srl, a company already active in the production of footwear. Rewind involves Guido Valle, son of the founder of Valsport, Antonio Valle, in the operation and decides to start again from historical models such as the Tournament (the great Valsport classic), the Olimpia and the Davis (the classic tennis shoe).
“In recent years we have abandoned the world of sport to reposition ourselves, changing our guise, as a fashion and luxury sneaker brand”, explained Toniolo, adding that the 2023 turnover stood at 5 million euros and that for the goal is growth of around 7-10 percent by 2024. “Today we have around 350 multi-brand stores that distribute our shoes in Italy and around 250 stores abroad. Future plans include the expansion of the multi-store network abroad: we expect to reach 300 stores even outside the border.”
Valsport production is totally Italian and is still entrusted today to small artisan workshops. The materials used come exclusively from Made in Italy manufacturing, which is very popular with foreign customers. “In addition to growth on markets outside Italy, we also aim to conquer a younger segment of customers than the now loyal 35-year-olds”, added the president of Rewind Valsport, describing the spring summer 2025 collection.
For next spring summer the brand has developed a collection full of colour. They range from the delicate tones of summer sunsets to the vivid shades of the ocean. The pastel tones convey a sense of lightness and serenity, while accents of sunny yellow and coral orange add a touch of energy. For the Start line, vintage nylon in soft shades and recycled fabric for the upper, which give the sneaker a light appearance. The design winks at the technical with the proposals in rip-stop fabric.
The use of metallic colors, such as gold and silver, give a touch of glamor while the boomerang and laminate tongue become details that illuminate the iconic Tournament, Magic and Olimpia models. In the Hype model, two new variants have been developed for spring summer 25 with an entirely metallic upper in platinum and silver tones.
At Pitti Uomo the Venetian brand presented the new Recycle project
Inspired by the classic 80s tennis shoes is the Davis line, this season’s new entry. Revisited in a contemporary style, she is presented in a new guise with soft nappa with a brushed effect and metallic details, which give a modern and futuristic result to the sneakers. “Among the new proposals is also the GValle. An archive model reinterpreted in a contemporary key with a crepe-effect rubber cassette sole. This sneaker is intended as a tribute to Guido Valle and current co-owner of the brand”, underlined Toniolo.
Furthermore, at Pitti Uomo, the Venetian brand has decided to present the new Recycle project, in this first phase, in the Magic model. The new creation embodies the fusion between innovation, contemporary style and sustainability, enriching the spring summer 2025 collection with an eco-friendly touch that is also reflected in the packaging, with box and tissue made from recycled materials.
