Silvano Lattanzi elevated handmade shoes to an art form, paving the way for a neglected craftsmanship tradition. His son, Paolo, has been supporting him both openly and behind the scenes.


"Since our living quarters were on the second floor of the workshop, I had no hesitation whatsoever about taking over the business."
"The craftsmanship that thrives here is because we've preserved our family business."
"Why can I make such beautiful shoes? Because I live in a naturally rich area surrounded by the Adriatic Sea."

Silvano Lattanzi is a man who lives exactly as these comments, which are almost always heard in interviews with artisans, are becoming more energetic than ever. Now 65 years old, Silvano still stands in his workshop, leading the way. Born into a family of shoemakers, Silvano made an entire pair of shoes by the age of nine. He started working in a workshop at the age of eleven, and as he grew older, he visited renowned craftsmen in Europe, much like a master craftsman challenging his master, to learn firsthand the way of life of a professional.


Then, in 1971, at the age of 20, he opened a workshop bearing his own name. Four years later, he received the Qualità Italia award, given to outstanding Italian products, and his talent gradually became known, leading to the opening of stores in Rome in 1992, Milan in 1996, New York in 2001, and Moscow in 2016.

This is the success story of a simple craftsman. His driving force was an extraordinary and highly original aesthetic sense. Silvano imbued shoes with the joy of being admired like works of art. The form, pattern, and construction—each aspect defies conventional standards, but the most impressive is the beautiful color palette, reminiscent of a painting on canvas.


"When my father started the brand, he wanted to do something that no one had ever done before. That's when he focused on color. He wondered why, when there are so many colors in the world, shoes only come in black and brown."

These days, it's not uncommon to see more than 20 colors layered on a single pair of shoes—said Paolo, the son who not only handles the crucial sole attachment but also manages trunk shows overseas, demonstrating his versatility.

To be continued in Part 2.