Get to Know Roa, the Italian Brand Named After a Hiking Trail in the Dolomites
Outdoor ethos.
With the rise of fashionable outdoor clothing, and its migration from the moor to the metropolis, it’s not unusual to see waterproof jackets or technical footwear in the city. In fact, the fashion aspect of “outdoor fashion” often celebrates the seeming randomness of hiking boots or high-performance waterproof jackets in urban environments. Enter Roa, the Italian brand named for a scenic hiking area—Forcella della Roa—in the Dolomites.
The brand was founded by footwear designer Maurizio Quaglia and the streetwear promoter Slam Jam in 2015, and in the decade since has firmly established itself in the fashion scene, having collaborated with brands like Our Legacy, Story mfg., and Stüssy. For spring/summer 2025, Roa intended the collection as a commentary on the inseparable nature of humanity and the broader environment, and to acknowledge the relationship between the two realms.
In addition to many revisited designs, the Arpy sandal is a new mesh model with hidden Velcro closures whose chunky sole and rubber toe cap mean it can be worn on the sand or in the city. With this latest collection, outdoor environments are not something to seek out, but something that exists in every aspect of life.
