L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016 www.italoamericano.org 12 L'Italo-Americano LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE T o the discerning, Italy is not only a boot, but also a luxury shoe. Today the country produces 30 percent of the finest shoes in the world, with brands well-known to the well-heeled and some that have become famous as the preferred choice of the renowned and even infamous. Tycoons, presidents and stars often strut their stuff in Italian shoes, finding talking common p o i n t s o v e r w h i c h I t a l i a n footwear maestro is truly the best. But in some ways the mod- ern Italian shoemaking tradition d i d s t a r t w i t h a b o o t . A f t e r N a p o l e o n ' s f o r c e s c a p t u r e d Milan in 1796, the little general n e e d e d h i s c a v a l r y b o o t s replaced. N a p o l e o n i s s a i d t o h a v e ordered a new pair from highly regarded Milanese shoemaker Anselmo Ronchetti, who mea- sured the French emperor's foot at a glance and 48 hours later delivered a brand new pair to Milan's Palazzo Reale where the f u t u r e e m p e r o r w a s r e s t i n g . Bonaparte was so happy he paid Ronchetti 40 luigi and named him his official shoemaker. That commitment to refined craftsmanship continued through the centuries and earned Italian shoemakers the reputation as the world's best. But now younger Italian artisans are adding their own touches to meet the needs of the modern world. Unlike Napoleon, the verti- cally challenged of today don't need to conquer continents to compensate. They have a classy solution with Guido Maggi's elegant, intelligent shoes that use concealed lifts. Emanuele Briganti, founder and owner of Guido Maggi (www.guidomag- gi.com), discreetly adds up to more than 4 inches in height to men from 80 countries across t h e w o r l d , c o m p l e t i n g a n d enhancing their whole look. Briganti, a former model, started making elevator shoes five years ago. His brand contin- ues a prestigious family tradition that began with his great-grand- f a t h e r G u i d o M a g g i m a k i n g s h o e s f o r t h e S a v o i a R o y a l House. "When I was modeling, I could never get the catwalks I wanted due to my small stature. I know how it feels for a man," he explains. "I used lift shoes I found on the market, but they didn't look cool. That's why I w a n t e d t o s p e c i a l i z e i n t h i s niche market that lacked stylish shoes combining luxury with comfort. My shoes are really handmade one-by-one. Every pair has a unique story," he says. With more than 300 models of dress shoes, wingtips, boots and sandals, each comfy Guido Maggi pair is handcrafted by artisans in the Salento footwear district of Lecce, Puglia. "We give customers shoes that are custom-made for them and our designers are constantly engage in research and tap into creativi- ty as design evolves," Briganti says. MARIELLA RADAELLI Guido Maggi has found his business elevated to the point he will open a new boutique in the exclusive Brera district of Milan on Dec. 1. O t h e r f o o t w e a r d i s t r i c t s include the Riviera del Brenta in Veneto region, where the tradi- tion started with founding of the confraternita of calzaturieri in Venice in 1268, as well as a dis- trict in the Le Marche region that counts iconic brands and the Vigevano-Tradate district of Lombardy that boomed in the '50s. Another modern take on tra- dition is offered by DIS (Design Italian Shoes), a startup from Recanati in Le Marche, where a r t i s a n a l m e e t s h i g h - t e c h through innovative software. DIS (www.designitalianshoes. com/it) allows consumers from around the world to design their own high-quality Italian shoes built to order. "Our mission is to democra- t i z e l u x u r y f o o t w e a r f o r t h e modern man and also respond to the challenge of sustainability," says Francesco Carpineti, cre- ative force and founder of DIS together with his brother Andrea and Michele Luconi. "We know the value of letting customers create their own unique pair of shoes that will be handcrafted by Le Marche shoemakers and sold at competitive prices," he says. Once the shoe is designed online by the client through a 3D con- figurator developed by Luconi, it takes local artisans four weeks to complete the order. "An American businessman c a n c o n n e c t t o o u r w e b s i t e , choose from various styles such a s m o c , t a s s e l , w i n g t i p o r squared toe, and be creative with his shoe's anatomy. We offer 50 million combinations based on a palette of 100 colors, details and t y p e s o f l e a t h e r , " F r a n c e s c o says. DIS is also bringing its dig- ital technology to retail stores a n d s o o n w i l l e x t e n d i t t o women's high heels, themselves another truly Italian invention. The first woman to wear high h e e l s h o e s w a s t h e a m a z i n g Caterina de' Medici from the famed Florentine family. One of the best-educated women of her time, she eventually became queen of France, but apparently felt her short stature did not do justice to her high status. To make a grand entrance on the o c c a s i o n o f h e r m a r r i a g e i n 1533, she commissioned a local artisan to make a pair of a spool heeled shoes that caused quite a stir at the royal wedding ceremo- ny. A s y m b o l o f f e m i n i n i t y , s t i l e t t o s h o l d a p l a c e i n t h e hearts and wardrobes of women. The first examples were pro- duced in Vigevano in 1953 and a t P a l a z z o S p i n i F e r o n i i n F l o r e n c e , w h e r e S a l v a t o r e Ferragamo created the sexy 4- inch tacchi a spillo so perfectly reflective of Marilyn Monroe's persona they turn each woman into a diva. Modern lift for Italy's renowned shoemakers Salvatore Ferragamo in his workshop in Palazzo Spini Feroni. Photograph by David Lees, 1937-1938 Napoleon was so happy for his new pair of boots that he named the Milanese shoemaker Anselmo Ronchetti who made them, his official shoemaker

• Cover