Artisan workmanship

Every phase of the shoes made by Calzoleria Petrocchi is completed in our workshop, every part of the shoes is a product Made in Italy.

The construction of a handmade shoe is a very complex operation involving traditional tools and techniques entirely by hand in our Rome workshop.

Calzoleria Petrocchi uses only carefully selected leathers such as Italian and French kid which have been tanned by natural and aniline processes to emphasise the original characteristics of the skins.

We use only the finest quality Italian leathers for the outsole, the midsole and the heel.

Pret-à-porter or bespoke?

Tailored, bespoke shoes are the right choice for customers who have particular fit needs or style preferences. For more information, go to the made to measure section.

Our pret-à-porter lines offer shoes which may be purchased from either the selection available or ordered in standard sizes. We offer a choice of models, leather and hide types, and variations in the height and thickness of the shoe sole. Please see our online store for examples of the models currently available.

Phases in the production
of an artisan shoe

The processes involved in the creation and production of Petrocchi shoes is the result of years of experience and… of satisfied customers!

After the initial design phase and the cutting of the shoe upper and lining in the selected leathers, the parts are assembled and sewn together in a process called binding.

The binding of the various leather pieces is a very delicate and complex phase consisting of multiple steps requiriing extreme skill and professionalism.

The sewer and binder, using a specialised machine, is also responsible for any punching and edging designs chosen for the decoration of the shoe. The sewn upper is now assembled on the shoe last.

The lasting is very laborious operation carried out entirely by hand in our Rome workshop.

The first assembly step consists of the preparation of the leather reinforcement.

The reinforcement is a leather strip that is initially softened with water and then pared with a cobbler’s knife. It is inserted in the part wrapping the heel between the lining and outer leathers in order to give the rear part of the shoe the required strength.

During this assembly phase the upper is stretched over the last and then fitted into its final shape with small, precise adjustments, revealing the true and final shape of the shoe.

The mounting of the rear part of the upper on last is the next step, undertaken with care to ensure that the upper leather is slightly lower on the last than the lining leather.

Of particular importance during this phase is the fitting of the shoe tip or cap.

This area of the shoe has two functions, it gives the shoe its final shape and protects the front part of the foot.

When the mounting and fitting of the heel reinforcement and the toe cap over the last is completed, the upper is ready for closure.

More than 50 small tacks are hammered around the outer edge of the upper to fix it to the last.

With the assembly phase now completed, the craftsman moves on to the finishing, sewing one or more leather soles to the upper.

We offer two types of finishing stitch for our ready-to-wear shoes, the Blake and Blake-Rapid.

However, clients ordering bespoke shoes are free to order any stitch type they desire.