"In 1992, you would not have called Mario Moretti Polegato an entrepreneur. He was a vintner, bottling wines from Italy's Treviso region. In that year, business took Polegato to Reno, Nevada, for a meeting of international wine producers. Seeking to make the most of his visit to the United States' scenic west, he took a hike in the mountains and found himself with sweaty feet from the summer heat. His solution? Cut holes in the soles of his shoes so his feet could breathe. He did this on the spot and still has both the shoes and a scar to show for it.

Not a Sole Sufferer
Polegato was simultaneously delighted and dissatisfied with his innovation. On the one hand, he could not be the only person in the world afflicted with the discomfort of sweaty feet. Surely, his idea would be of interest to a potential consumer audience.
On the other hand, the innovation had an obvious defect. What was fantastic in the dry desert would be downright damp on a rainy street in London. He still had work to do before he could leave the winery and pursue his newfound mission of making feet around the world more comfortable."