Italy is known for its alta moda (high fashion), and its shoes are some of the most desirable in the world. Crafted from supple leather and suede, they’re sought after by men and women alike for their superb craftsmanship and high-quality materials often hovering around a budget-friendly price point.
America Domani has created a short list of three incredible Italian men’s shoe brands to shop from. The brands’ shoes range in price from $200 to $670 depending on style and materials used. All three footwear businesses are handcrafted in Italy by artisans who own and work in intergenerational family-run factories. They all can be shopped online and offer free shipping and returns within the United States.
Ace Marks
Founded in 2012, Ace Marks is a luxury footwear business that makes dress shoes, loafers, sneakers and boots at budget-friendly prices.The company works with a small Italian factory owned and operated by fourth generation artisans. All shoes are crafted in Italy, made with 100% supple full grain calfskin leather, and burnished and dyed by hand, so that each pair is unique in its construction.
Ace Marks operates as a direct-to-consumer business, meaning their shoes can only be purchased through their website and not through any retailers, which saves consumers money. Shoes roughly range in price from $200 to $350. Ace Marks offers free shipping and returns on US orders.
Velasca
Founded by two friends in 2013, Velasca is a luxury footwear business that creates high-quality men’s shoes using artisans located in the eastern Italian Marche region. While the company is primarily focused on men’s shoes, it also sells apparel and accessories for both men and women.
Velasca sells a wide range of footwear styles, from moccasins, monk-straps, and oxfords, to chelsea boots, sneakers, and boat shoes. Shoes range in price from $150 to $670. Velasca offers free shipping to the United States on orders over $100, and imposes a $25 fee on orders less than $100. It offers free returns within the United States.
Scarosso
Scarosso works with family-run factories in the Montegranaro area of the Marche region to create upscale, and high-quality shoes for both men and women. Shoes, ranging from loafers and moccasins to sneakers and Chelsea boots, are handcrafted in workshops where their quality is controlled by experts sharpened by years in the trade.
Similar to Ace Marks, Scarosso has a direct-to-consumer business. Shoes range in price from $300 to $450. Scarosso offers free shipping to the United States.
Asia London Palomba
Asia London Palomba is a trilingual freelance journalist from Rome, Italy. In the past, her work on culture, travel, and history has been published in The Boston Globe, Atlas Obscura, The Christian Science Monitor, and Grub Street, New York Magazine's food section. In her free time, Asia enjoys traveling home to Italy to spend time with family and friends, drinking Hugo Spritzes, and making her nonna's homemade cavatelli.