Shoes date all the way back to the prehistoric era when men began wrapping their feet in animal skin in order to protect them. The Greeks and the Romans, as evidenced by numerous frescoes, protected the feet with sandals, which were built by intensely working the leather. Both wood and leather shoes became widespread in the Middle Ages, which, during the fifteenth century in Europe tended to be made of cloth and pointy. Finally, in the seventeenth century, the first shoes high heels and the first boots were created.Apart from being used to cover your feet, shoes steadily became a way to exhibit economic greatness and power. The best footwear on the market was reserved to well-off families, talented artisans who worked on their craft from small shops where these more experienced craftsmen availed themselves on the collaboration of young apprentices for the preparation of raw materials.
In recent years however, there’s been a modest a revival of this ancient profession in the Belpaese. At a time of economic crisis like the one we are currently going through, a shoemaker’s work seems to be making a quiet comeback. According to surveys conducted in recent years by some important Italian newspapers, it seems that young people are rediscovering the ancient crafts of the past with pleasure, and among these the popular profession of the cobbler. The search for a customized, a tailor-made shoe for the upper class has diffused tremendously among socialites. However, they are not the only ones, as this new revived trend has become a commonplace among many who have rediscovered the virtues of craftsmanship and are starting to forget the anonymous industrial shoe.