Truth and myths about Italian shoes

Tod's casual studded soles, luxury classic Booties by Testoni, catwalk high-heeled sandals by Sergio Rossi or Giovanni Fabiani, breathable Geox sneakers .... The shoe market is replete with renowned Italian brands and brands. However, in the pursuit of easy money, shoes by top designers are often faked. Chinese craftsmen have so skillfully learned how to produce counterfeit products, that sometimes even a professional cannot immediately distinguish a fake from a script. How not to be fooled by replenishing the assortment of their store with Italian shoes, Shoes Report magazine was told by experts from the shoe market.

Five signs of true "Italians"

According to experts, to distinguish real Italian sandals, boats, boots or boots from the Chinese imitation is easy if you know the brand differences of Italian products.

Three main words. A clear and obligatory sign of any real "Italian" is the inscription Made in Italy on the sole or insole of the boot. “The presence of the inscription Made in Italy is quite strictly regulated by European and international legislation,” says Alexey Moiseev, owner of the WorldShoes.ru online store. - In many of our chain stores you will find such an inscription on the price tag, but not on the boot, and this is already an obvious swindle! You can write anything you want on the price tag, while only Italian manufacturers can put Made in Italy on the boot. ” “You can label your shoes with this inscription only if the pair is more than 70% made in Italy,” adds Elena Becker, representative of Villa Reale Fashion Group in Russia. According to her, Made in Italy is a strong brand, supported by a special state policy that does not allow the brand to be mentioned on foreign products. It is important to note that no interpretation of this inscription - neither, for example, “Italian style” nor “Designed in Italy” - is allowed on genuine Italian products. Also, the original name of the manufacturer should be knocked out on the pair - without errors and without quotes: it is better to check the correct spelling of the brand with the manufacturer’s official website in advance.

When looks are not deceiving. Particular attention when buying should be paid to the "appearance" of shoes. There should not be any wrinkles, wrinkles, or cracks on the surface of the base — unless this is the designer's intention — creases should not form during the fitting of a real Italian couple. If you run your hand inside the boot or shoes, then in the area of ​​the toe on the sole thick leather should be felt. The sole of the original Italian shoe is usually flaky with leather and firmware on the edging of the boot.

It will not be superfluous to sniff at shoes, and literally. Italian shoes and shoes will not fool your nose: “An indicator of good product quality is its smell,” says Elena Becker. - Italian shoes smell like leather, and the smell is by no means harsh. “Chinese shoes, on the other hand, smell very strongly of glue, which sticks tightly but is incredibly toxic.”

Official site. The presence of a specialized manufacturer’s website on the Internet can also serve as an indicator of authenticity. Moreover, the domain zone of the site, as a rule, corresponds to the country in which the shoe company is located, and for Italy it is designated as “.it”. Before making a deal, it does not hurt to go online and ask if the brand you like at the exhibition really exists. “All brands listed on my website have links to Italian websites of these manufacturers, and, very importantly, they are all members of the Italian shoe manufacturers association,” adds Alexey Moiseev, owner of the WorldShoes.ru online store.

It's expensive. Another important indicator of true Italian quality is price. The cost of one pair of European shoes in ordinary stores can not be less than 5 000 rubles, while the retail price of Chinese imitation can be within 3 000 - 4 000 rubles. It’s easy to explain this difference. “On average, the purchase price and delivery to Russia from Europe costs 3 000 rubles per pair, and the wholesale price for shipping with Chinese shoes averages 600-900 rubles per pair,” says Alexey Moiseev. “Given the double margin for end customers, it turns out that the price of a pair of real Italian shoes comes to 9 000-12 000 rubles.”

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“Present the documents!”. If the product is positioned as piece and sewn in a private workshop, it must have the appropriate insignia. Exclusive shoes, shoes or boots always cross the border with a certificate in the language of the manufacturer. Such a certificate is also certified by the original autograph of the master and his official stamp. Avoid communicating with companies that cannot submit such documents. "Only small Italian companies can sew batches of 12 pairs per article, while in China the minimum batch is 150 pairs of the same color and model," Moiseyev emphasizes.

Five myths about true Italian quality

1 Myth: "Paint will give a fake." It is a mistake to believe that shoe paint gives out counterfeit products, which, when worn, leaves traces on light socks or tights. Some pseudo-experts even advise you to use this technique before buying: hold a damp and then dry white cloth on the surface of the outer material of the shoes and the insole to determine the quality of the shoe. Elena Becker dispels this myth: “Any dyed leather can leave marks when interacting with certain chemical elements, such as creams for the feet or body milk,” the representative of Villa Reale Fashion Group assures. - Therefore, if shoes paint their feet, this is not an indicator that low-quality substances were used in their production. Moreover, in Europe this property of some shoes is not considered marriage at all, as they think in Russia. ”

2 Myth: "The difference between all Italian shoes is its raised toe." Do not trust the statement that the slightly raised toe of the boot is the corporate identity of all Italian shoe makers. Experts interviewed by Shoes Report magazine consider this a myth and call such a design only a whim and style of some manufacturers, but not a guarantee that you have a pair of real Italian shoes.

Myth 3. “All seams should be perfectly smooth.” “Some Italian manufacturers are not particularly pedantic,” says Elena Becker. “However, their products are not becoming less“ Italian ”or of high quality because the seams are not perfectly straight.”

4 myth: “If the shoes are made of leather, then they are from Europe.” Another misconception is the belief that the Chinese have not “grown up” to use genuine leather in the production, so leather products are of high quality a priori, since they were not created in China. “Now genuine leather is used in production in almost all countries. Another thing is its quality, which usually differs radically, warns Alexei Moiseev. “The Chinese make genuine leather shoes, but often it’s either very thin or extremely poorly made, which affects the quality of the pair and its convenience to the buyer.”

5 Myth: “Everything is done in China anyway.” Well, the main myth, according to sellers, is the assertion that there really is no European footwear and that everything around has long been Chinese, so "what difference does it make to you from which country the manufacturer is." This is false information, as several thousand shoe factories are located in Italy alone. World famous shoe enterprises were established in this country more than a hundred years ago. Decade after decade, they hone their skills, and certainly do not reveal the secular secrets of their technology to manufacturers from developing countries. Therefore, the original Italian shoes definitely have advantages over Chinese imitations.