Testoni quality in handmade shoes and leathergoods

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Italian luxury leather goods label A. Testoni craft designer shoes, exclusive and unique creations representing the Italian excellence worldwide since 1929. The great variety of leathers used that ranges from calfskin to ostrich and crocodile, constitutes a continuous challenge and commitment. It is necessary to select the best leathers, test their resistance and find experts capable of hand-sewing complex materials that even the most sophisticated machines are unable to cut.

Young Amedeo Testoni opened his first workshop in 1929, after having learnt the secrets of the most important Bolognese craftsmen. In the ‘50s, he improved the traditional Bolognese production to fulfil his dream of creating the most beautiful shoes in the world.

Old methodologies and unique competencies formed the basis for this company, which still takes pride in selecting only the finest materials and achieiving the highest quality – without compromise. The brand’s philosophy aims for original technical and aesthetic solutions, and its history contains the requisites for continuous innovation and development, to affirm the future of artisan craftsmanship and ensure international recognition of modern Italian style in the world.

The Filettone is an iconic detail: reverse hemming is a technical solution refined through the particular competencies and skills that only a.testoni can offer. A distinctive mark that adds a touch of class to the upper or an elegant border to the cap toe.

Another detail is the Spiral, a thin ribbon of wound leather applied to the sole hem. This feature has become the “signature” detail of a.testoni shoes.

Up to 200 manual steps are necessary to make an a.testoni brand shoe. Hemming, assembly and finishing involve different types of operations: wheeling and stamping the soles, trimming the edges, and delicate procedures such as antiquing, shading and polishing. Finally, each shoe is brushed to obtain its exquisite finish.

THE BOLOGNESE CONSTRUCTION
Our unique know-how is derived from artisan handcrafted techniques and constructions that guarantee comfort and excellence.

The Bolognese construction, declined in the Black Label Line, is the characteristic that best embodies the hand-crafted values of a.testoni shoes. The upper is hand sewn to a special lining in soft kidskin that fits like a glove and guarantees unbeatable comfort and flexibility.

We have combined Bolognese construction with the classic Goodyear method to create the Goodyear Bolognese method, a perfect combination of comfort, flexibility and resistance.

THE “PIUMA RAPID” PATENT
Another symbol of excellence is Piuma Rapid construction: a revolutionary process entirely done by hand, exclusively patented by a.testoni. The result is a feather light shoe that completely insulates the foot from heat, cold and humidity.

a.testoni uses the typical Norwegian Construction, with its exclusive handmade braided or “chain” stitch in unfinished linen twine. This ancient technique was derived from traditional northern European mountain boots.

I29 A.TESTONI

“I”– the letter that expresses a sense of belonging, identity and self-awareness.
“Two-Nine” – the year the a.testoni adventure began, a symbol of “follow-through-2-the-future”.

I29 is a new concept.
I29 is where Italian lifestyle meets everyday life.
I29 is a lively, spontaneous approach to every occasion, every day.
I29 is the perfect combination of design and function.
I29 is music.

Techno Jungle Collection
The rarefied, visionary atmospheres of late-Nineties techno music provide the inspiration for the animalier prints of the Exchangeable Backpack. Choose your pocket, choose your rhythm.

Thunderbolt
A distinctive signature, in bright red and blue, sets the pace for a new urban jungle.

6Stars Sneaker
3D studs shape the six stars of the iconic I29 a.testoni sneakers.

a.testoni, long known for quality and refinement, creates a new collection for all year, that expresses the distinctive Made in Italy style for which the brand is known. It represents relaxed and exquisitely Italian taste.

The collection, previewed at Pitti, Florence, is a modern expression of elegance translated into easy wearing formal styles with clean, simple lines and light and fresh informal designs. Using the finest leathers and materials, a.testoni surprises each season. Attention to the most minute of details results in superior design.

a.testoni’s history began in 1929 with handmade men’s shoes in Bologna, Italy. Today, journey into the world of a.testoni for luxurious accessories, outerwear and footwear for men and women.

The history of the a.testoni brand began in 1929 and is tied to Amedeo Testoni, the enterprising owner of a sophisticated shop of high-quality handmade men’s shoes in Bologna.
Today a.testoni is very different from the past and thanks to its design and commercial organisation, the company is one of the most important active realities in the footwear sector.
Present worldwide, with over 70 single brand points of sale, the company has placed shoes, leather goods and accessories on the Japanese, Far East and USA markets within an internationalisation and globalisation plan that represents today around 85% of the Group’s overall turnover.

As of today, a.testoni is a complete and well-structured reality, symbol of Made in Italy worldwide and it preserves that exclusive heritage of craftsmanship and attention to the quality of leather, the construction and materials that have made it a well-known name in the luxury international panorama.

The company has moved forward as well. Today, the bologna-based factory is still the beating heart but a production reality has developed around it, provided with a unique know how made of advanced creativity, design, engineering for the product: experience, technical expertise and innovative ideas allow developing internally collections and products of excellence.

On the strength of 89 years of history that places it as a high level brand, the company has developed a two-track project at the same time:

– the progressive expansion of the single brand network by opening shops in Asia (among which Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, Singapore), Eastern and Western Europe, underscoring the brand’s internationality thanks to seven subsidiary companies;
– the design’s general renewal that has reached its peak with the addition of some lines reflecting more the buyer’s profile, more attentive to a contemporaneous style.
The company has also developed a distribution plan aimed at multi brand channels therefore it is present in selected multi brand shops in the Middle East, where a single brand shop has been inaugurated, and in Western and Eastern Europe.

Today a.testoni is footwear, leather goods, bags, wallets, belts, accessories for men and women, high quality products with three distinguishing top range lines for men’s shoes, Amedeo Testoni and Black Label, besides products made in exotic leather like ostrich, and crocodile that require a great expertise for their processing, in which a.testoni is specialised.

In Italy a.testoni is present in prestigious multibrand shops and has two single brand shops in Rome, in Via Condotti no.80, and Milan, in Via Montenapoleone no. 19. The a.testoni showroom is also located in Milan, in via Montenapoleone no.1.

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Research to Action © 2018 Time Network (Canada)