SPECIAL REPORT
D e s i g ne r
S h o e Ou t le t s around Fermo GIOVANNI FABIANI Via dell’Industria, 50, Fermo
PRADA outlet
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Via Alpi (Zona Industriale), 97, Montegranaro 0734 - 897.82.72 Monday through Friday, 9.00 a.m.-12.30 p.m. and 3 p.m. -7.30 p.m., Saturday open
the heels, and came to understand that the production of women’s shoes is a tedious, timeconsuming craft. After the initial stages of leather cutting, stitching and fitting the body of the shoe, the next steps vary according to the shoe style. Each artisan is trained to specialize in one task. We see a middle-aged man swiftly stretching leather taut over the toe of every shoe. Another man delicately brushes special glue onto the bottom of the shoe structure, allowing it to dry completely before heating it up again and applying the sole by hand, lining it up exactly and using a special machine to press it tight. At the end of the assembly line, another man places each stiletto heel in just the right spot before securing it with a press machine, and sending it on for the finishing touches. Then the shoes are polished, buffed and boxed, ready to be shipped. It’s an example of the care and handcrafting that give Italian shoes their reputation for durability and quality.
continuously, 10.00 a.m. -7.30 p.m. All Prada goods, including jackets, bags and shoes, offered at a 40 percent discount; sales in January and February.
TOD´S shoe outlet Corso Garibaldi, Casette d´Ete, 134 Sant´Elpidio a Mare 0734 - 87.16.71
With over 54 components needed for every pair of women’s shoes, I realized that shoemaking can be laborious.
Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. – 7:30
M o d er n C r a f t s m a n s h i p
goods at 40 percent off.
Arriving at Dino Bigioni in the nearby town of Montegranaro, my excitement stirs: I smell the pungent, unmistakable scent of leather. It’s a men’s shoe factory, but that doesn’t lessen my enthusiasm. The manager, Giuseppe Sardini, spoke with great pride and hospitality as he led me into the noisy area where shoe production begins. Beyond stack upon stack of shoeboxes, that will envelope shoes bound for Russia and Germany, the elaborate assembly process begins. This factory is modern, with automatic leather-cutters and machines equipped with software to copy intricate patterns on to the material. Where have all the artisans gone? Was I naïve to expect to find old, Italian men slowly stitching together pieces of leather? Looking more closely, I see the workers, again intently focused on using their expertise to carrying out their craft. Dino Bigioni manufactures 700 pairs of shoes a day. All employees come from shoemaking families that have educated their children in the craft. While the younger generation attends area trade schools to learn trade and design, family tradition is the preferred training method. “They pass secrets from father to son. There’s no other part of the world where you can find this,” said Montegranaro Mayor Gastone Gismondi.
ROBERTO CAVALLI Via dell´Industria (Zona Industriale), Gottazzolina 0734 - 63.20.64 Monday from 3.30 to 7:30 p.m.; Tuesday though Saturday from 9.30 to 12.30 p.m., and 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Also sells Fiorucci shoes, Flex Junior, and Disney Babies.
CALZATURIFICIO R.D.B. (Dino Bigioni Uomo) Montegranaro 310, v. Veregrense 0734-89.12.59 info@dinobigioni.it
The Italian shoe industry is not just about footwear – it’s about preserving a tradition, a culture, a family name.
perforated uppers, English wingtips, boots.
“We are not eating each other; it’s families helping families. That’s the life of the shoe industry,” Sardini said.
tennis shoes, ankle boots.
Women will find classic models, leather
Urbino View ‘10-’11
Well-made men’s shoes: rubber soled,
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This factory is just one of hundreds of small yet established family shoe businesses in this area. The families say they are friends rather than foes, and that they help one another in times of hardship. The American idea of money-hungry world domination has no place here; the Italians’ best interest is in assuring that quality always prevails.
p.m., open continuously. Shoes and leather