The Superga Story More than a hundred years ago, in a factory located at the foot of the famous Basilica, the idea of Superga® began to take root in the mind of the young engineer Walter Martiny. For the first time in Italy, Martiny launched the production of items in vulcanized rubber - a technology invented by Charles Goodyear. He would go on to invent one of the earliest tennis shoes, inspired by his wife, who was an avid tennis player. During that era, tennis was played using rope-soled shoes, which provided superb grip on clay courts but were susceptible to damage. Martiny ingeniously replicated this rope sole in natural vulcanized rubber, rendering it slip-resistant and durable. The iconic, irregular "orange peel" sole is a hallmark of the 2750 Cotu model, the classic Supergas we know today.