Koio relaunches the Primo with Rose Anvil

NYC-based footwear brand Koio is relaunching The Primo, the high-top sneaker that debuted the brand in 2015, in a limited-edition collaboration with leatherworker and YouTube creator Rose Anvil for its tenth anniversary.

The updated Primo maintains Koio’s original Italian build standards, with internal upgrades including a full leather Strobel board, leather toe cap and counter, and a gum outsole. The upper is crafted from vegetable-tanned, untreated Vachetta calf leather sourced from Italian tannery Conceria Annarita, allowing the sneaker to naturally darken and develop a unique patina with wear.

“Reintroducing the Primo for our ten-year anniversary is incredibly meaningful,” said Johannes Quodt, co-founder of Koio. “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 remained a core style for five years before the brand shifted focus as its range expanded. Koio continued to receive requests from collectors and longtime customers to bring back the original design, prompting the reissue as part of the brand’s tenth-anniversary celebrations.

“The Primo was already a well-built sneaker, but replacing every internal synthetic component with leather significantly elevates the craftsmanship,” said Weston Kay, Rose Anvil. “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 work with Rose Anvil follows the success of their first collaboration—the Koio x Rose Anvil Capri Triple White—which sold out in less than 24 hours.

The limited-edition Primo is priced at $325 and is now available exclusively online.