ROVIGO
Why this continuous demand of something new? Experts identify four principal reasons: the consumer does not have always the same standards, he is more an more demanding, rapidly changes his tastes and looks for new solutions. Furthermore, there is curiosity. At the company Liverpool, in Villanova del Ghebbo (Rovigo), we produce, on request, shoes made to measure.
They are no common shoes, they are “historical” shoes for men and women. “Starting the Sixties, we have dealt for the most part with women’s shoes, mainly mocassins” – says Daniele Mengoni, born in 1962 and owner of the company, where he once worked as a laborer. “This is our principal production and gives us great satisfaction. It is the result of a work process which, for the most part, is still made by hand and it is exported worldwide.
The company has 20 workers and an annual turnover of 1,5 milion Euro. At a certain point, however, we were requested historical shoes for groups of people exhibiting in historical - above all medieval - events and we have accepted the challenge.” It is suede footwear, for which high quality calf or deer leather is employed and it is entirely made by hand.
Even if there are some base reference models, shoes are cut and adapted to the requested styles, according to the different historical periods. Lacings and internal or external cuffs are adapted and colours are chosen so as to fit with the worn clothes. In Italy, thanks to word of mouth, historical shoes are today worn by “figurants” and flag weavers of many groups, like for example the Palio of Monagnana and Monselice (Padua), the Palio of Ferrara, the flag weavers of Florence, Viterbo, Asti An. Or.
