Enzo Bonafe, the treasure of Bologna, Italy, steadfastly adheres to the nine-tenths construction method, relying only on machines for the final stitching (the last step). Five years after what was said to be his last visit to Japan, the 83-year-old master craftsman returned for a trunk show and reflected on his life. "It's been 30 years since we started doing business with Japan. It's a country I have a strong connection with."

I entered the shoe industry when I was 13 years old. A relative of mine worked at a testoni, and I used that connection to get in.

Our family was very poor because of the war. The children didn't even have shoes to wear. When the war ended, my mother bought us sandals. My sister and I took turns wearing that one pair of sandals.

We had to start working immediately. We had struggled with footwear, so we thought we'd work in the footwear business.

I spent 15 years at A. Testoni. I realized after doing it that I'm suited to working with my hands. I was entrusted with not only cutting but also inspecting the leather, so that's quite an accomplishment (inspection is a process that is not uncommon in typical shoe factories, often performed by the company president himself).

Eventually, the desire to make my own shoes began to grow within me. And so, together with a craftsman I met, I started Enzo Bonafe in 1963.


The beginning was incredibly difficult. It's a funny story now, but I felt like I wanted to die. I would put the freshly made shoes in my bag and go out to sell them. People would take advantage of me and beat me down, so I couldn't even pay the craftsmen their wages properly.

I can't thank my wife, Guerini, enough. She worked outside the home to make up for what I couldn't do. She did the accounting during the day and helped me with the finishing touches when she got home. You ask where we met? At A. Testoni. A. Testoni not only gave me a lifelong career, but also acted as our matchmaker. Oh, and I also met Marcello, the sole maker, at A. Testoni, who retired a little while ago. He was my right-hand man.

Our shoes are now sold in stores all over the world, including Japan, but there wasn't any particular turning point. We simply took it one step at a time.

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