Handmade Italian Sandals

By: Christen Calloway

While some of the shops in Florence claim to sell handmade Italian shoes, I stumbled upon an actual shoemaker and his shop, Lavorazione Artigiana, in the West Oltrarno one evening. I have to ring the doorbell before the shoemaker lets me in. I wander around the tiny storefront and see his workshop through the open wooden door. I look at the unique designs of his shoes and he tells me he makes all of them. Looking at the shoes, I see they are stamped with his logo, “Francesco Da Firenze: Al Ponte Alla Carraia.” I find a comfortable pair of brown leather sandals and choose to spend the extra Euro for something handmade.

Francesco Da Firenze: Lavorzione Artigiana is located at Via Santo Spirito 62 r, Firenze.