Officine Creative has spent the better part of six decades adapting Italy’s rich history of shoemaking.
The Marche region of Italy holds a storied history of shoemaking dating back to as early as the fifteenth century. Leather working began with local craftspeople making “chiochiere,” a type of heelless slippers. Initially this was done for local customers, before drawing the attention of Italians living in the Papal States and the Kingdom of Naples. The capabilities of the area’s artisans were expanded with the introduction of the treadle sewing machine in the late nineteenth century, which allowed for the widespread inclusion of female labor in production. The region’s renowned craftsmanship resulted in the establishment of a regional shoemakers’ guild which continues to uphold local standards today.
In 1968, Officine Creative began in the small town of Montegranaro near Italy’s west coast. Nazzareno di Rosa’s shoemaking laboratory drew on centuries of Italian footwear techniques from the surrounding Fermo province and Marche region. Today, the brand continues to incorporate ancestral techniques and traditions, perfecting generations of leather craftsmanship.
Nazzereno’s fifty-seven years of experience in luxury footwear has paved the way for his sons, Roberto and Luca, to add a more contemporary touch to the local Montegranaro methods. The two brothers run the internationally renowned Calzaturificio Duca del Nord shoe factory in the medieval town where their father began his journey. Famous for its pioneering techniques such as washing, burning and object dyeing leather goods, Officine Creative pushes the limits of leatherworking using one hundred processes to achieve a unique product which personifies individuality, care and style. This continued innovation in Italian footwear is overseen by a knowledgeable collective within the brand’s own workshop to ensure that creative development continues to live up to the company’s standards.
Though Officine’s roots are in the men’s footwear trade native to Montegranaro, its women’s footwear has overtaken the male products in popularity. A combination of traditional Marche techniques mixed with novelties such as natural latex soles, allows Officine shoes to stay relevant and fresh, blending the techniques of old with the technology of new.
This philosophy of tradition and innovation is central to the Officine’s remarkable journey. The Montegranaro shoemakers describe the creation of their brand in the 90s coming at a time when fashion was “saturated with unadventurous products with little or no self-identity.” In order to transcend the trends set by their peers, Officine adds a distinctive creative flair to their traditional workmanship in an ideology they refer to as “lateral thinking.” This ensures that each piece produced in Calzaturificio Duca del Nord has a unique identity that both honors the history of Marche shoemaking, while providing contemporary comfort and unmistakable identity.
