In the coming spring, many girls who love beauty should replace their heavy winter clothes in their closets and refill them with colorful spring clothes. I don’t know if every girl is like this: When you put on a beautiful new dress, you will consider which pair of shoes match it best. Therefore, it can be said that the essential item for the completion of fashion is the shoes. When it comes to shoes, there is another place that has to be mentioned – Italy, a place with the best shoes in the world, this should be recognized by everyone.
Why do we say that Italian shoes are the best?
There are two reasons: one is because of high grade, and the other is because of high quality. Of course, these two points are inseparable from the handmade craftsmanship of Italian shoemakers. Italian handmade shoe making will first draw the style of the shoes that you want to make on the last, so that the shoes will be more suitable for the foot. The Indian philosopher Osho mentioned in When the shoes fit: “When the shoes are right, the feet are forgotten.” This sentence simply and intuitively expresses the essence of the “shoe philosophy” – solely shoes and feet once there’s a implicit understanding referred to as “comfort,” the foot gets real freedom, and the shoe has its golden value.
The expertise and craftsmanship of Italians is evident in the technical skills of their shoemakers. From the hundreds of years ago to the high-tech of the world, there are still about 60% of the shoemaking workshops insisting on manual or semi-manual methods. Shoes, this is the main reason why each pair of “Made in Italy” can leave its mark on the world’s fashion week and sidewalk. Here are 10 of the top Italian shoe designer brands we recommend for you. Just see their names, please open your wallet with confidence.
Alberto Fermani
This shoemaker was founded in 1960 by Alberto Fermani and is now run by his son Matteo. Headquartered in Petriolo, Marche, the company has grown from an original small studio to the shoes it now sells in high-end boutiques and department stores in more than 20 countries. Alberto Fermani has been producing handmade shoes for decades. The result. From the toes to the table, Alberto Ferman insists on traditional design, casual style, and natural leather that can be worn to make their shoes look both refined and understated.
Bruno Magli
The growth of Bruno Magli is inseparable from the efforts of Marino and Bruno, as well as their sister Maria. Before setting up a studio in the basement of a family home in Bologna, they learned how to make shoes from the shoemaker’s father. Since then, they co-founded their first factory in 1936 and opened their first store after the Second World War. In the 1960s, the Magli moccasin became popular, and many celebrities began wearing Bruno Magli shoes, including the famous actress Sophia Loren and socialite Christina Onassis. In 2011, Russian designer Max Kibardin took over the company’s creative director. Today, Swiss asset manager Da Vinci Invest has the exclusive rights to luxury footwear, clothing and accessories, but still focuses on hand-made.
Elsa Schiaparelli
Elsa Schiaparelli has always been known for her quirky and surrealist design, most notably her collaboration with the Spanish artist Salvador Dalí in 1937 to introduce a Spanish shoe and hat. In 1938, Elsa and Perugia, the first shoe designer of the 20th century, designed a high-heeled suede and ankle boots for her circus. Although these shoes have been eclipsed in the history of footwear, they are very representative. . To pay tribute to the French artist René Magritte’s 1935 work “Love Disarmed”, Elsa added a long monkey fur trim and mysterious black lace to the boot. In addition, in the design of footwear, Elsa has had some unusual cooperation with the legendary French designers André Perugia and Roger Vivier.
Geox
In 1995, Mario Moretti Polegato supported Geox, and since then, the whole has become one amongst Italy’s largest shoemakers and one amongst the world’s leading footwear brands. The secret of Geox’s success is its rubber-punched sole, which starts with a desert walk in Polegato. Polemato walking on the desert began to sweat, and for ventilation, he cut two holes on both sides of the sole, which worked well. Therefore, after returning, Polegato began to study the problem and successfully integrated the waterproof membrane into the rubber sole. After applying for a patent, he recommended it to several companies but refused. Polegato set up Geox himself. Obviously, he achieved Success, and Geox has always been committed to mastering the latest trends and the application of innovative technologies.
Gucci
Guccio Gucci founded a luggage company in Florence in 1921, and the Gucci boutique was developed. Since many high-end customers are horse lovers, Gucci will add a horse button icon when designing the product. The most representative is that Gucci first used it in casual shoes in 1953. Adopted by the finest of Tinseltown, the loafer soon became the hallmark of the jetsetters.
Prada
Prada’s association with footwear came in 1983, known for its superb leather craftsmanship, after design head Miuccia Prada extended the product range to include footwear. Since then, Miuccia has shown experimental talent, creating plastic, nylon and leather shoes, boots and sandals, drawing on influences including Italian films, architecture, and Japonisme. The Prada group also includes other brands such as Miu Miu and Church’s English shoe company.
Salvatore Ferragamo
Salvatore Ferragamo left Campania in 1914 when he was still a teenager to make his fortune in the United States. His bold, colorful designs favored the elite of Hollywood, and by the 1920s he was known as “the stars ‘ shoemaker.” He remained so throughout his life, creating shoes for big names such as Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Judy Garland, and Marilyn Monroe. Ferragamo returned to Italy, despite his success, to open a workshop in Florence. He was enthusiastic about foot, studying anatomy to make sure he was able to create the most innovative shoes and styles. Even the shortage of raw materials did not diminish his enthusiasm: his talent was such that when he was unable to get his hands on leather he turned to raffia, wool and felt like making shoes, famously using Sardinian cork in 1937 to create the first wedge.
Sergio Rossi
The brand originated in San Mauro, Pascoli in the Romagna region, with the son of cobbler Sergio Rossi. In the early 1950s, he started studying in Milan where he learned how to make use of all the his passion for shapes and refine his skills. Sergio started selling his handcrafted designs to Bologna boutique shops when the 1960s arrived, including his prevalent Opanca light sandal with the sole curved around his foot. Rossi started working with designer Gianni Versace in the 1970s and later produced shoes for other major fashion houses such as Dolce & Gabbana and Azzedine Alaïa. Today, the brand is owned by French group Kering.
Tod’s
Tod’s is the businessman Diego Della Valle’s brainchild. His father, Filippo, and grandfather, Dorino, were both cobblers, and in the early 1900s Dorino started making shoes. Diego launched Tod’s, making it an international brand thanks to a mixture of expertise in business and marketing. Fiat’s head, Gianni Agnelli, was famously persuaded to wear Tod’s driving moccasins for televised soccer matches. The advertisement created by the product placement led to a spike in sales. But Diego has as much an eye for art as the bottom line and, after his death, acquired the brand of Roger Vivier to revive it.
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