New works of art that call themselves “classic” seem to have missed the point. And yet it’s hard to deny the growing influence of Italy’s Volta Footwear, which has precociously given itself the motto “instant classic.”

Born out of a dinner discussion between the Twentyfourseven marketing group, Volta Footwear’s goal has been to establish a unique, universal brand. “Footwear is not only the best sales opportunity within fashion, but also a real status setter and a significant channel to relevantly enter a market and shout something loud in it,” says Mauro Simionato, a designer and brand manager for the company.

So how does one create an instant classic anyway? According to Simionato, it was a matter of hitting the books: “We needed to study the classics of the past and understand how they became history.” Beyond that, the criteria for longevity included design, comfort, price-point, distribution and image. “You cannot be a footwear instant classic if any of these points are inconsistent,” Simionato explains.

The shoes already have an archetypal, ageless appeal. The product is unisex, one-style-only, for for the masses. The shoes combine high fashion with comfort, a hybrid of classic Italian boots and contemporary sneakers. The debut spring/summer ’09 collection combines classic simple color—green, blue, red—with a white base, while the autumn/winter ’09 collection introduces suede fabrics and a “female-only” color, antique rose.

When it comes to Volta Footwear, the key design word is versatility. You could wear the dress shoe-meets-sneaker on a walk through Rome, a concert in New York or at a cocktail party in London. It’s an everyday shoe that has the functionality of Timberlands and the luxury of a Prada loafer.

The brand may be new, but the design is a classic.

For more information, see www.voltafootwear.it.

—Michael Miller