Introduced through a mutual friend, Nikolas Minoglou and Christina Martini met in 2010 and bonded over their shared love of Greece and their Hellenic descent. Martini was born in Greece and, after graduating from Cordwainers College in London with a degree in footwear design and product development, she worked as a shoe designer for Balenciaga and Louis Vuitton. Born in London and raised in Greece, Minoglou moved to the United States for his college and graduate studies, first at Tufts University then obtaining an MBA in entrepreneurship at Babson College.

At barely five years old, the brand is hardly ancient. However, the popularity of its collections – of which roughly half of the designs are back by popular demand season after season – is something even well-established brands would covet. With introductory sandals hovering well within the affordable luxury price range, the brands most classic styles account for nearly a third of total sales. Customers appreciate the simplistic yet whimsical creations that make summer footwear all the more fun.

For Summer-Spring 2016, Ancient Greek Sandals joined forces with British womenswear label Peter Pilotto, adding bolts of color and graphic patterns to its core line of contemporary yet timeless shapes and comfortable leather. Complementing everything from shorts, rompers, summer dresses, or cropped jeans, the varied styles come in a wide array of finishes and colors. Averaging about 25 new styles each year, Ancient Greek Sandals continues to be inspired by Greek art and mythology. Today, the line has expanded into footwear for men and children. Plans to for handbag designs are also in the works. Ancient Greek Sandals makes regular appearances across the pages of international editions of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, InStyle and the fashion pages of The New York Times, its first editorial.