Koio Reintroduces Its Original Primo Sneaker in Vachetta Leather to Mark 10th Anniversary

Koio is celebrating its 10th anniversary with the reintroduction of its debut silhouette, the Primo sneaker.

Done in collaboration with leatherworker Rose Anvil, the high-top sneaker is updated in Italian vegetable-tanned and untreated Vachetta calf leather by the famous Italian tannery, Conceria Annarita.

“Reintroducing the Primo for our ten-year anniversary is incredibly meaningful,” Johannes Quodt, co-founder of Koio, said in a statement. “It was the shoe that launched the brand, so bringing it back with Rose Anvil’s technical rigor felt like the right way to honor its legacy. The Vachetta leather will age beautifully, making this one of the most personal and character-rich versions we’ve ever created.”

The Primo first debuted in February 2015 at Koio’s Bowery pop-up, created by the founders as their “ideal high-top sneaker.” The silhouette quickly stood out for its hybrid nature merging attributes of sneakers and boots into a versatile, elevated style. It remained a mainstay in Koio’s collection for five years before stepping out of the spotlight as the brand expanded its offering.

Koio noted that it consistently received requests from longtime customers and collectors who wanted the original high-top back in production. For the brand’s tenth anniversary, Koio responded by bringing the Primo back with both its original Italian build standards and new technical enhancements introduced through the Rose Anvil collaboration.

For this new anniversary edition tie-up, Koio and Rose Anvil applied the same elevated construction as their first collaboration – the Koio x Rose Anvil Capri Triple White, which sold out in less than 24 hours – with a full internal overhaul using leather components typically replaced by synthetics in mainstream footwear manufacturing.

“The Primo was already a well-built sneaker, but replacing every internal synthetic component with leather significantly elevates the craftsmanship,” Weston Kay, founder of Rose Anvil, added. “Using untreated Vachetta leather means the shoe doesn’t just look good out of the box, but it continues to improve over time.”

Koio’s Primo sneaker in Vachetta by Rose Anvil, which retails for $325, is now available at Koio.co.