RobertoVasi is a contemporary American fashion footwear brand for men focusing on combining style with cutting edge features. A combination of elements that are apparently opposite characterises RobertoVasi' shoes, such as old and new; something familiar yet unfamiliar; classic and youthful and energetic.

It all began in an accessories sketching class about twenty-three years ago at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. The teacher and designer, Vasilios, met an entrepreneur, Robert, who registered for his accessories design class. Vasilios said: “I helped him with his sketching skills and put together a portfolio for a position at Kenneth Cole. He got the job, and we stayed in touch over the years. After some time, one evening while dining, we were discussing how many students we’d nurtured and prepared for the industry who became very successful and thought why not do it for ourselves?  We wanted to branch out and launch our RobertoVasi. So, we set up a meeting and a plan. We saw a gap in the market for more edgy and creative men's footwear and we knew we could fill it.”

As they saw an opportunity to fill a void in the market for men who wanted more edge without looking like fashion victims they grabbed it, and since they have been on a journey of three years  full of eventful landmarks. When questioned about the difficulties faced by the company, they don't hesitate to point out: “The logistics, all the little things you deal with regarding the business of shoes. Well, you have to have buyers and that we did. But in the big scheme of things it’s all about having a multitude of buyers and shipping. What happens when it lands in port? How do you get it to the corporate office or warehouse and how do they get it to the retailers? Then there’s the independent retailers. You have bills to pay. You make cold calls to buyers and hope they show up. For the design process you have to research trends, then design and redesign, travel to the factory to produce the prototype, correct it, approve it and then sell it.”

In their own words the brand’s typical customer is someone who knows what they want, “well crafted and classically designed shoes with a modern edge. They're not afraid to play with color and texture and are confident enough to follow their own style”.

What are RobertoVasi’s main strategic objectives for the next few years? Well, Robert and Vasilios confess they are excite with the launch of their ecommerce website, which will allow the brand to reach directly their customers. In the pipeline are more ambitious plans to consolidate the brand and the business: "Our plans for the next few years are to continue expanding the business to additional customers and to move into more product categories such as accessories and women's footwear".