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The Koio Founders Explain How They Make Luxe Sneakers At Attainable Prices

When Chris Wichert and Johannes Quodt met in business school, they discovered they shared a passion for sneakers and entrepreneurship. With that in common, they knew they could launch a direct to consumer sneaker brand that offered truly luxurious materials and constructions at an affordable price. The result is Koio, a minimalist sneaker brand made for the global fashion set by traditional craftspeople in Italy. To learn more, O.N.S swung by Koio’s SoHo store to talk sneakers, passion projects, and why New York is the fashion capital of the world. 

In many ways, Koio sells the ultimate European-made sneaker at the best possible price. How did you conceive of that idea? And how were you able to execute it so well?

When we first met at Wharton, we bonded over our shared love for high-end sneakers. Growing up in Germany, we had spent much of our young adult lives saving up to purchase high-end sneakers when they went on sale. We both came to business school from traditional backgrounds in finance and consulting, but really wanted to pursue a more creative path that we were actually passionate about. We quickly realized that we could turn our passion for high-end sneakers into a business with Koio—offering the highest quality product, made with the best possible materials in a way that was more accessible, both in terms of the price point, branding, and overall retail experience. When we were ready to create our first prototypes, we spent three weeks on the ground in Le Marche, Italy, literally going around towns by foot and inquiring about where we could find the manufacturers that worked with the brands we most admired. We’re dedicated to offering timeless shoes, constructed by craftspeople that are fairly compensated, receiving their rightful share of the value that’s created. Thus, it was essential in finding and fostering our relationship with our manufacturer and other partners that we aligned in terms of the importance of providing good wages and working conditions to the people making our shoes. We also wanted to find a manufacturer that had experience working with other high-end brands. It wasn’t until the very end of that trip that a chance encounter led us to the manufacturer we had been looking for, a prestigious Chanel factory that produces for a small number of other luxury brands including Koio. By offering our sneakers direct to consumer, we’re able to guarantee the best possible price at that high quality level.

 

You’re both European but decided to base Koio in New York. Why did you feel like this was the best place to run your company and what’s it been like being transplants to the big city over all these years?

When we were first starting Koio, there was never a question that this would be a New York-based brand. New York is the fashion capital of the world—the epicenter of global culture and business. It was important to us that we focus on building a brand that resonated with and was well-received by New York consumers and media before expanding our physical store presence in other markets, both domestic and international. There’s just something about the energy in this city that resonates with Koio’s brand DNA. New Yorkers are passionate and daring—they have a certain creative drive, willingness to take risks, and an unwavering commitment to the pursuit of their passions that is inspiring. That’s one of the reasons why the rest of the world pays attention to what’s happening here. It’s been an incredible ride as we’ve come to consider New York our home. This is such an international city with such a diverse, vibrant, and enthusiastic population that it’s been easy, arriving as transplants, to find our roots here, both in business and our personal lives.

Koio built its reputation on clean, simple sneakers made from elevated materials. But recently, the company released the Avalanche runner, which is a bit flashier. What made you want to change it up?

We constantly want Koio to evolve and the Avalanche runner was an evolution that was long in the works. When we first started out, we focused on perfecting just a few very minimalist silhouettes, which remain the foundation of our brand. The Avalanche is our refined take on the chunky runner. We wanted to create a chunky sneaker that brought the highest quality materials and craftsmanship to an on-trend silhouette in a way that was more wearable, comfortable and fashion-forward. We’re getting phenomenal feedback from consumers and the sneaker has become a favorite among celebrities, influencers, and fashion editors. You are going to see more unique designs going forward, as we’re continuing to evolve the design identity of Koio. At the heart, however, all of them will be versatile shoes that let you go about your day and move seamlessly between all the worlds that you’re a part of.

From the outside, watching you and Koio’s course, from startup to well-known, beloved brand has been really interesting and amazing. What’s it felt like from the inside, as the founders?

It’s been incredibly exciting, at times challenging and ultimately, one of the most rewarding experiences of our lives thus far. We’re extremely proud of how much the brand and our community has grown in just a few years. It’s been a surreal experience catching a glimpse our product on the feet of people walking in the street, receiving requests from some of our favorite celebrities, building a team of outstanding people who live and breathe Koio’s mission, and more. We’ve nurtured this brand and have been very thoughtful in how we’ve grown and evolved in terms of product, retail locations, collaborations, and financing. We’re looking forward to continuing the ride and taking Koio to the next level.

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What’s next up for Koio?

We’re really focused on bringing our creative mission to life in 2019 and are collaborating with talents whose stories will inspire our community to be daring in the pursuit of their passions. We’ll be launching a number of limited-edition collaborations throughout the remainder of the year with the likes of Dominique Ansel, Nina Agdal, The Beverly Hills Hotel, Bradley Duncan, Young Chicago Authors, and more. Beyond that, keep an eye out for a number of new silhouettes from indoor soccer-inspired sneakers to boots this fall. We’ll also continue to expand our retail presence in new and existing markets to further engage with our community.

If you liked this story, check out more from our Urban Transplants issue.


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