“SOLAZZO’s image is that of an artisan shoe factory, in which all of the processes are carried out with the skill of master craftsmen, passed down from father to son, to create a quality product. The company is family-run and we are now in our second generation. Our passion is what ensures the continuity of what we do: a job that has always been difficult, yet also wonderful and deeply satisfying for those who, like us, make men’s shoes out of fine leathers and high quality materials.” Tina Solazzo speaks with well-earned pride about the family business. Alongside her brothers, Giuseppe (the administrative officer) and Alessandro (the “artist”, who designs the various models), she runs a company that employs approximately thirty people and which, last year, registered just over €6 million in revenue, almost entirely thanks to the Italian market. “This company,” says Tina Solazzo, “is rooted in our parents’ image and in the entrepreneurial savvy of our father, Natalino. For a few years at the beginning, they worked on behalf of large companies in the Vigevano area, focusing only on certain aspects of shoe manufacturing. Then, around 1970, they decided to embark on this great adventure and devote themselves to the complete production of men’s shoes.” At first, the company focused on the classic moccasin. Later, SOLAZZO began collaborating with various luxury brands, always with men’s shoes, offering, year after year, a trendy fashion line that never failed to be sophisticated, elegant, stylish, and tasteful. “Regardless,” emphasizes Tina, “our shoes are admired all around the world, precisely because of their unmistakable artisan craftsmanship. In short, we contribute to Made in Italy’s reputation worldwide.” “We opened our first store a few years ago, in Vigevano, on Via Roma,” she adds. “Since then we’ve opened others: last year in Alassio and, just recently, in Desenzano del Garda. So we not only collaborate with luxury brands, but also have our own brand whose potential we’re trying to develop.” There’s certainly no shortage of ideas, thanks primarily to Alessandro, the artist of the family. He’s the one who contributes to the design of new models for every season. He’s the one who determines SOLAZZO’s characteristic style; a style that seeks always to renew itself, while also remaining faithful to artisan craftsmanship and a classic selection of models, intended for a clientele that appreciates beauty and good taste, without excessive whimsy. THE VARIOUS CRAFTING TECHNIQUES The “Welt” Crafting Technique: a long and delicate English process that guarantees exceptional quality. The “Norwegian”: one of the most complex technique, a labour-intensive and lengthy process that is done exclusively by hand The “Tubular Moccasin”, a technique that uses lightweight and elastic leathers “Blake”: the assembly of the sole, the insole, and the upper takes place in a single step by means of a seam. The Exclusive SOLAZZO Touch Can be Seen in the Finishes The colouring is the final touch that exalts the complex manual skill of the artisan craftsmanship. Creams, colours, and polishes alternate with one another in a multiphase process. Sprayed, darkened, and shaded, the colour is applied in order to obtain original and exclusive nuances that enhance the shoe’s true character. The vintage finishing treatment, applied using exclusive techniques, gives each shoe a particularly worn look that ranges from aged to extremely vintage, conveying charm and history.
