While there is no denying that in many cases footwear can be made to excellent levels of quality and workmanship using industrial technologies, the allure and perfection of a bespoke shoe leaves no doubt as to the refinement of an accessory adapted to your foot. Starting with the malleolus, the upper part of the foot. The length must be perfect, measured from the heel to the longest toe. Fit is defined by the widest part of the foot; perceived comfort is intrinsic to how it is managed. Then there is the heel girth: a space which must always guarantee simple and fluid movement. Ankles are always free, except for in the case of an ankle boot. For such footwear, adherence is decisive, without erring on the side of tightness. All these parameters can only be obtained by measuring the foot, which is exactly what happens at Corte della Pelle, the Ballin Calzature store (one in front of the company’s headquarters in Fiesso d’Artico, Riviera del Brenta, one in Klagenfurt and one in Ljubljana, with new openings scheduled), where the master cobbler Franco Ballin provides this service for customers. The signature feature of a company that also makes footwear for international brands. For 2021 Franco Ballin proposes two ranges for men and two for women: one formal and the other sporty. Mr. Ballin explains: “Many finishings are still handmade; leather is stored in a protected room, a sort of caveau of excellence. We take pride in the fact that alongside some of the most innovative machinery, we still even use a Duer, a sewing machine from the Eighties, requiring the constant presence of a technician. Our aim is to promote tradition and produce excellent quality footwear, both for men and for women. We are artisans of footwear, capable of assembling and stitching in different ways, who continue to hand finish soles, just like in past times.”
