ROA

A quintessential purveyor of streetwise technical footwear, Italian label ROA effectively navigates the midpoint between aesthetic and practical viability. Guided by careful material selection and an uncompromising commitment to craftsmanship, ROA’s output is engineered for mountainscapes but maintains a proximity to urbane contexts, displaying a hybridity that speaks to the ever-blurring divide between performance-based design and artistic expression. Highlighting the luxury that is inherent in a piece of footwear tooled to effortlessly tread on a maximal range of surfaces, ROA’s highly stylized design ethic shows a keen sensitivity to the visual factors that have occasioned hiking gear’s crossover appeal. Chunky, intricately-sculpted Vibram soles bespeak stolid functionality, while resilient mesh and kudu leather uppers contrast against sleek rubber accents, resulting in silhouettes that enhance a minimalist framework with the textural depth of technical footwear. A predominately monochromatic colorway creates an appealingly icy atmosphere, with all-white variations lending an air of crispness to a typically rugged footwear style. Finished with water-repellent and quick-drying properties, ROA’s treamlined selection of boots and sneaker styles is hybridized footwear at its most resilient.