The Slingback Factory

Making a top-notch slingback requires a refined skillset. This factory’s team uses a combination of classic tools and high-end, made-in-Italy machinery to create the kind of slingback that exudes high quality in looks and in feel.

The Last Comes First

The central building block in shoemaking is a piece of wood or high-density plastic shaped into the general form of a foot. This is called the last. The exact shape of the last depends on the type of footwear being made, and getting the last’s dimensions just right is the first step in creating a great-fitting shoe. That’s why we were glad to see this factory’s lasting team had both incredible attention to detail and serious prowess in how they lasted our shoes.

A slingback is lasted (attached to the sole) in the toe area, and the toe’s shape determines the shape of the shoe’s upper as it comes up your foot, the vamp. Their technicians made careful adjustments to the models of the lasts in computer-aided design (CAD) software to make certain of even sizing adjustments across the size range. For our largest project with this factory, The V Slingback, they marked a line on every last where the vamp should hit. This helps ensure that the resulting shape of the vamp on the foot perfectly mirrors the V shape of the toe.

Inspecting the final product, the extra work is clearly apparent. Each shoe is balanced, with the upper floating evenly above the sole, no twisting in the form, and no traces of stray thread, excess glue, or scuffed leather. As with so many art forms, it takes a lot of effort to make something look this effortless.

The Setting

Located in Santa Maria a Monte, right down the street from the factory where we make our Day Gloves, this neat, organized facility features bright colors, high ceilings, and floor-to-ceiling windows for visibility into their meeting and production spaces. The red-orange work coats on the employees seemed fitting for the warm atmosphere in the building, and their compliance score of 92 out of 100 only bolstered our good feelings for this place.