And What About Italian Shoes?

I have not looked into this myself, but word on the street is you can have a pair custom made. You might want to check that out.

Let us know what you learn!
Please and Thank You.

My husband bought me a nice stylish pair in Venice a few years back. Not walking shoes, though, and I hardly find occasions to wear them. But the experience was fun.

Well, since you can no longer find "Made in Italy" shoes (non luxury label) anywhere in the US (all production of shoes has shifted to China and other places, just like furniture and textiles), then why not? Unfortunately, I think even the Italians may not make all their shoes in Italy anymore either (or they outsource a lot of the components outside the country). The last pair of Italian shoes I had was over a decade ago (I think they were Joan and David). I literally cannot find any "mid-priced" Italian shoes in the US and I've looked everywhere. Italians made really beautiful heels and boots.

(I should add that I haven't looked in really high-end or luxury boutiques. I'm sure if $ is not a constraint, you can find some high-end Italian shoes in the US).

If you'll be in Florence, look there. I bought 2 pairs of leather shoes ( on different trips), when we were living in Germany and spending much of our free time in Italy. Both were casual street shoes. One was a slip on, the other an Oxford style. Neither were proper walking shoes, but they were the best fitting, most comfortable shoes I've ever owned. I had them for many years before they finally wore out. Unfortunately I can't remember the name of the store. But there is no shortage of shoe stores.

Agnes, interestingly, I read an article in yesterday's paper about how many of the Italian designers are increasingly going back to Italian factories to manufacture their leather products. Glad to see that.

Yes, there are Italian brands available in Italy that I've not seen for sale in USA. They range in price from affordable to outrageously expensive. I've seen multiple stores in Florence selling such brands. I've not yet purchased such a brand, but Mephisto shoes are a bargain compared to USA prices.

As to Made in Italy brands no longer being sold in the USA, that statement is absolutely not true, at least not for upscale brands like Ferragamo.

Bought shoes twice in Rome and once in Greve. There's a custom shoe store in Panzano.

Many years ago I bought two pair of shoes in Florence. The store shipped them to my home in the U.S. so I didn't have to pack them in my suitcase. The shoes were a great remembrance of the trip and made me happy every time I wore them. In reality, they were narrow for me. So if you do wear a narrow shoe, you may have a lot of choices when shoe shopping in Italy!

I regret not buying the beautiful shoes I tried on in Milan. I have narrow feet too.

I agree that folks with narrow feet will have an easy time finding shoes in Italy. However, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to find genuinely "Made in Italy" shoes in an affordable price range. In fact, some shoes labeled as MII may be 90% made in China, Tunisia, Morocco, or wherever. Then, they are shipped back to Italy for final processing. EU laws actually allow this. Most eyewear for sale in the USA labeled as MII are made this way. Look up a company called Luxottica and you will find a lot of its dirt. Louis Vuitton is another example. Their products are labeled as "Made in France", and yet their IPO prospectus reviewed that they actually own factories in China and other countries!

If you really want a great pair of shoes, have them custom made. They will cost you a bit, but they will fit your feet perfectly and last for a lifetime. Treat yourself. It's worth it.

About my own experience--I have wide feet and therefore didn't even bother with shoe shopping in Italy. I also did not have the time and budget for bespoke shoes. Last year, I traveled to Spain and found wonderful shoes at great prices (much more reasonable than in Italy). I will be in Portugal this year and will certainly shoe shop.

Wonderful English composition! Back to ESL with you.

Sputter, snort, Norma- well done!

CT - I bought fabulous, Italian, short, black boots in Switzerland! Leave room in your bag and make time, you’ll not regret it.