It's a milestone year for the Italian company BasicNet, which in 2025 is going to orchestrate celebrations for a slew of its brands, including Superga. The latter is marking the 100th anniversary of the signature 2750 vulcanized rubber-soled tennis shoe, which has transcended its sports-leaning ethos to become synonymous with the nonchalant spirit of Italian style.

For starters, Swiss engineer Walter Martiny established the Walter Martiny Industria Gomma in 1911 in Turin. The company - later known as Superga - kicked off operations as a tire and rubber products manufacturer, but in 1913 it pivoted to the production of waterproof rubber boots, leveraging the vulcanization technology pioneered by Charles Goodyear in the U.S.