Relative new comer in the game, Volta Footwear has been taking the dressier elements of your typical Italian-designed shoe and fusing them with a casual sneaker spirit, all in a unique Chukka-esque silhouette. While it’s rare that new comers specialize in only one model, in only their second year, Volta balances their mono-product approach with a wide array of different color options straight from Milan. These hybrid boot-sneakers were inspired by the footwear development of the last 50 years, which is why you’ll instantly get their retro vibe and timeless (yet very modern) lines. These are shoes simple, refined, made to be worn everyday and self-described as an “instant classic”.
We caught up with Volta’s Brand Director and one of their designers, Mauro Simionato, to find out more.
LH: What is the main inspiration behind the brand and the designs?
MS: We wanted to create some footwear to replace sneakers and boots. Better yet, we aimed for an evolution in footwear. Something to come after sneakers and boots. A third, new choice if you will. After so many years of “sneakers everyday and everyway”, we all got kind of sick of them, and started to look back to casual ankle boots, to our old pairs of Clark’s and Doc Marten’s. But at the same time, we got used to trainers, to the comfort and feeling. So we said to ourselves, “let’s make a pair of boots that look and wear like sneakers”. Anyways, we were not the first to have such a goal; Clarks did it already some 50 years ago.
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LH: How do you believe you differ from other independent footwear brands like Common Projects, Opening Ceremony, Gram?
MS: I think we basically have different missions and visions. We like all the three brands you mentioned, and we like many more from the independent scene, but I think few of them actually match Volta goals. We want to be an instant classic of footwear. Being instant classics doesn’t mean hitting the market very aggressively from the very beginning with a live or die attitude. You can become an instant classic on a slower, step-by-step based strategy. That is why at this early stage, we are linked to higher-end brands like Common Projects, Gourmet or Opening Ceremony, even though all of them have a more “stylish” profile, have a significantly higher price-point, and only partially share our target. We are honored to stand besides those brands, because it means the most critical side of the market accepted us as a new option. We are grateful for it and will keep on working hard to satisfy those who chose us first. Anyway, Volta will soon be asked to make some moves, moves an ‘instant classic’ is supposed to take, and we will have to be ready to take the best decisions at the best timing.
LH: Explain to us about the Special #777 project… do you envision doing more limited edition models? Collaborations with other brands/designers?
MS: Special #777 was made for our best customers around the world, as a nice gift, but nothing more. Though the 21-stores-only concept is good for creating buzz, we didn’t really expect to have such a interest around the special. It’s great to open the mailbox everyday and find official “claims” about when it will be out and why it’s not out yet, how many pairs available, when we will post on the website the store-list… Quickly, #777 will be distributed through 7 stores in Italy, 7 in Europe and 7 in the rest of the world. The final store-list will be published soon, and it’s amazing we’re very happy with it. Each store will have a 24 pair limited range, we produced approx 600 of them, so I hope the collectors will be happy! We would like to launch one special a season, we all like the idea, and as long as our customers react so lively, we will keep on doing it. On the other side, we are not big supporters of this “collab” thing going on. I think it is good to join the force of two players to get best results for both, but I am still attached to a wider concept of co-branding and co-marketing in genera. I still think it is a delicate thing and it has to come at the right stage and be done in the right way. So for now we say no to collabs, we want to wait to be a stronger brand in order to work with prestigious labels – but only when we’re ready.
LH: What makes the Italian fashion so unique? How does the “street” scene differ from Japanese, American or British style?
MS: I think there is no “unique” Italian street fashion scene. We have been forced all the way from 60s to look around/outside for new trends, especially to the UK and US. When it comes to classicwear, we have always been masters. We still are, and I hope we always will be. I think there could be a time, maybe not now, maybe not our scene nowadays, when Italian kids will mix anglo-american or scandinavian street style with a touch of italian class, like some Cheap-Mondays/H&M/American Apparel thing mixed with Napolitan hand-made shirts and moccasins. That would look good, and very different from common preppy styles. By the way we do not consider Volta as a street-wear brand, because our shoes are sold to 20 year old hipsters as much as to 50 years old casual, updated professionals. Our retailers are already very different, going from sneakers stores, to high-fashion boutiques to strong casual/denim stores. I think we are already sharing something with our “idols” like Clark’s, we dream to get to that level where you are not street, or casual, or fashion, fresh or old… but just “classic”. The desert boot is like that; we want to be the new desert boot. There is a street-wear scene in Italy, all over Italy -there’s always been, along with punk, mod, skin, rockabilly scenes, everywhere around the country, small towns, small groups, big passions. Even if it’s true, that the UK indie-wave of last years pushed streetwear forward to a wider teenage-crowd. Most Italian streetwear brands are based in Milan. We like Marios and February, Dead Meat, Pharmacy, and Vanguard. We also like Super Sunglasses, and Noodlepark. Good projects and good people behind.
LH: Your tagline is “instant classic”, what is the most ‘classic sneaker ever’ in your opinion? What one sneaker do you wish you designed?
MS: The most classic sneaker ever is probably Converse Chuck Taylor, the most classic boot ever is probably Clark’s desert-boot. We wished we designed both of them! But we are also satisfied, we put a little something from them inside Volta, as an inspiration, a tribute and love.
LH: How difficult is it for a brand like yourselves to break into the North American market?
MS: Though in Europe we are a fast growing brand, we are approaching the US market very slowly. We are conscious it will become one of our main markets, and we already have been in contact with few important players, but we still have concerns about brand-positioning on the one end, and retail price-point on another. We are in few independent stores like Revolve, Joyrich, Otte, Shoerepertoire and hopefully Gimmeshoes and ReedSpace before the end of the year. As a matter of fact, we are called only by highly selective stores. Our nature is to start from there and grow stronger with them as partners.
LH: Anything special on the horizon for Volta?
MS: The upcoming AW2010 will be a big collection, with a lot of great Italian fabrics and color combinations, we’re crazy about it. For first quarter 2010, we will launch another special, to be out by March. In May, we will be designing a special edition shoe for the German store Azita, to celebrate their 5th anniversary. We were very happy the Azita team selected us as special partners for the event, it’s a real pleasure for us. So look out for that!
Judson Lee says: 
