Walking through the Santoni factory doors, past the swanky art pond, it’s immediately clear what this company is about. On my left, hangs a photo of mum and dad Santoni — the founders — flanked by campaign photos of Santoni shoes. Right in front of me, stands a round wooden table displaying some of the company’s best-known shoe designs. Behind the table is another pair of sliding doors; once through, I’m presented with the desks of the students of Santoni’s Accademia dell’Eccellenza, a newish venture looking to foster the next generation of local artisans. Behind those, a green wall (as in made entirely of plants).
In succession: history, shoes, sustainability, future — all displayed in the sleekest of manners. Let’s unpack them one by one.
The history
Following a couple of difficult decades after World War II, ’70s Italy saw an economic boom, during which many Italians launched their own businesses. Two of those entrepreneurs were Andrea Santoni, the then head of production for a shoe company based in Marche, and his wife Rosa, a seamstress. They started small, with a couple of machines they set up in their garage. Andrea would bring in the business, which at the time was formal men’s shoes with leather soles, and Rosa, along with a couple of other seamstresses, would stitch them up.
