Giuseppe Santoni: designer, hedonist, Italian
Santoni is the most expensive shoe in Europe (Naomi Campbell was wearing sandals for 3,5 million euros at the presentation of the new Montblanc jewelry line). Santoni is Trilux's unique volumetric dyeing technology that allows you to mix colors so that they look like a plaid. Santoni is brand promotion through the Olympic Games (in 2008 for Beijing, the company launched the Santoni Club collection - Santoni Olympic - moccasins made of soft leather on comfortable soles decorated with the embroidered motto of the Olympics: “One world One dream” (“One planet, one dream ”). We talked about ideas, technologies and national pride with the owner of the Santoni brand, Giuseppe Santoni.
- In the 2007 year, Moscow was the only city where four Santoni boutiques were opened - more than in any other megalopolis in the world. And it was about the discovery of several more. Have they all withstood the 2008 crisis of the year? How did the company survive this difficult time?
- Our stores easily enough survived the economic crisis due to the highest quality and impeccable style. 
our shoes. After all, Santoni is not just shoes, but a real work of art, a kind of investment for our customers. In addition, the company, having 30-year-old traditions and unique handmade technologies, always looks positively into the future, using all possible innovations. Santoni is now preparing for a new strategic partnership that should bring success to the brand. The traditions of past generations, continuous improvement, creative search, innovation - these are the secrets of our company’s success even in the most difficult economic situation.
- Brand Santoni appeared in Russia in the 2002 year. What image of Russian buyers have you developed during this time? How have they changed in eight years?
- Russian clients of Santoni, then and now, are business men and women who travel a lot, who have seen the world. They value quality, exclusivity, impeccable style, exotic materials and uniqueness of style. They love classics, but always strive forward, carefully following all trends, fashionable novelties and innovative technologies.
- On the issue of innovation. Are you continuing the research on artificial leather aging begun by your father Andrea Santoni? Maybe you have some kind of area of interest?
- The company today is proud of the unique technology of aging leather patented by our brand. The experiments begun by my father are continuing and now, we are looking for new options for coating and leather vintage.
- You also have unique anticatura technology. What it is?
- Technology anticatura - A special staining process that my father started using. This is the most important “recipe” from Santoni, making our shoes unique. For three hours, the master paints each pair in different colors, alternating layer by layer, until the painted surface acquires a deep, voluminous hue, giving the leather a peculiar 3D effect.
- How to determine that the leather is real and of good quality?
- Real leather should be soft, but dense enough, without any defects on the surface. The leather that is used in our production, before becoming the basis for a new pair, is carefully checked by experienced craftsmen in the laboratory of the factory.
- What materials do you prefer to work with?
- When working with the men's collection, I prefer soft calfleather and the leather of exotic animals (python, crocodile, sea stingray).
- How do you assess the success of the company now? What is your main task in 2010?
- In 2010, we plan to strengthen our position in the segment of fashionable women's shoes thanks to our new creative director Edmundo Castillo, who, despite some difficulties and challenges of the last three years, confidently consolidated the new image of Santoni, creating an amazingly sensual and fashionable Rose Collection line. These are shoes for true fashionistas who follow all the latest trends, for feminine, sexy, glamorous young ladies with an impeccable sense of style. We are proud of the Rose Collection, the haute couture shoe collection with which the company intends to firmly establish itself in the international fashion market. The main thing for the brand in the upcoming season is the promotion of the Rose Collection women's line, as well as the expansion of distribution and the opening of new stores, including in Russia.
- Is fashion an art or a business?
- Fashion in our company is represented by the chic and sensuality of the Rose Collection women's line, art is represented by the male line, a limited collection that fully reflects the brand’s philosophy: shoes as a masterpiece. Each pair, made in an exceptional color, is completely sewn by our craftsmen, who carefully preserve all traditions, so the end result is not just a pair of men's shoes, but a real handmade masterpiece.
- How to find a balance between fashionable design and shoe comfort? What is more important for you: color, shape, material?
- Of course, a clearly verified formula, what is the balance for each particular pair of shoes, simply does not exist. We adhere to the following rule: ideal shoes are style, comfort, uniqueness of each model created from durable materials of the highest quality.
“You run the business with your sister.” How are your responsibilities distributed?
- I am fully involved in the processes of product development, marketing strategy and distribution. My sister Ilia is involved in administrative and financial matters. As a result, our entire family is focused on managing the company. We are constantly looking for new ideas and ways to develop our business, jointly discussing and making the most important decisions for the brand.
- Do you have young designers in the team?
- We have three teams of designers who work independently, but constantly consulting with me. The idea of continuity of generations is very important for us - both for a specific collection and for the general philosophy of the company. Therefore, a school for training young specialists has been opened at our factory, where representatives of the older generation successfully pass on the secrets of unique hand-made technologies to our young masters.
- In 2006, you started a joint project with Mercedes - the release of the Santoni for AMG sports shoe line. What is the fate of the line?
- Marketing relations with Mercedes AMG continue from season to season with the advent of new colors and new models in our common collection.
- In which country are these sneakers best selling?
- Unfortunately, I do not have statistics at hand, but I can say that this model is especially popular with American consumers.
- You had a special line of shoes for the Beijing Olympics. Is the appearance of the Santoni for Sochi collection possible for the 2014 Olympic Games of the year?
- So far, there are no plans to create such a line for the Sochi Olympics. However, this is a really good idea! In June, for the World Cup, we launched a limited series of sneakers with football symbols. They depict the flag of South Africa - the mistress of the championship. By the way, we provided a unique opportunity for each of our customers: they themselves can choose a flag for drawing on the leather surface.
- Are you interested in any kind of sport?
- My hobbies are car and swimming. Sitting behind the wheel of a Mercedes AMG, swimming in the sea with children in their free time in summer - these are the little joys of life. Moreover, this does not distract you from work, because wonderful sandy beaches are located very close to our factory.
- What is your closest attitude to work - pleasure, self-realization, human relations?
- Our family is fully engaged in this business, for us it is a life’s business, a business that brings us mutual pleasure, this is what and for what we live. Our shoes are the embodiment of our values and traditions.
- Tell us about yourself: how did you get into the shoe business? did you have any doubts? was there a desire to try yourself in some other field?
- I decided to work in the company of my father immediately after graduation. First headed the international distribution department. And when I was only 20 years old, I began to travel the world, working together with the company's designers. ” It was a whole new experience.
- Do you remember the first pair of shoes made with your own hands? What was she like?
- My first pair of shoes ... Of course, a pair of real Santoni men's shoes made by myself.
- What is creativity for you - a state that you can enter and which you can hold, a flash of insight, intuition, the harmony between commercial calculation and the flight of fantasy?
- Creativity for me is first of all harmony. After all, what is a successful collection? This is a well-balanced relationship between fantasy and comfort in daily wear, between fashion and the laws of classical elegance.
- Do you like to go shopping yourself?
- Yes, shopping for me is not only a way to spend free time, sometimes it also becomes a professional duty. Especially at those moments when we begin preparations for the creation of a new collection: the creations of other designers help to assess the market situation, our own position and sometimes serve as an excellent source of inspiration.
- What does money mean to you?
- Money is important for maintaining a good standard of living, but it cannot be an end in itself. This is by no means the most important thing in life.
- What is more important: time or money?
- Time, in my opinion, is a unique, "luxury" key to success and prosperity.
- It used to be that Russian people were not used to counting money in grief or joy. Is it right now?
- It's not about the money, but the absolute exclusivity and uniqueness of each pair of shoes, luxury that the Russian buyer never stinted and spared no money with.
- What features distinguish the Russian market of luxury shoes?
- The Russian buyer, like no one else, appreciates the luxury of shoes and accessories and is ready to invest his money in it.
- How many pairs of shoes should be in the wardrobe of a woman, and how many - of a man?
- In women, this number can tend to infinity. A man should have 10 – 12 pairs of shoes; necessarily one pair of sneakers, one pair of classic shoes with a double strap, one moccasin, one pair of boots.
- Being an Italian, what are you most proud of in your country? - I am in love with the history of Italy, with everything connected with art and design. I am proud that I am Italian, and I can call myself the real son of my fatherland, giving the world the best handmade shoes.
Unichel foresees the wishes of customers
Rieker and Remonte with new collections - at Euro Shoes
Chinese brands and factories at Euro Shoes
The home collection from Australian brand EMU Australia at Euro Shoes
Tamaris SS26 Collection
Sales of additional goods and services can add up to 20-30% to a store's turnover.
Many stores today have hit a sales ceiling: they have the product range, the team is working hard, the marketing is up and running, but revenue isn't growing. Where can they find growth opportunities? In reality, the potential for growth lies right in the customer's receipt. And it's not about raising prices, but about offering customers more value at the point of purchase. We discussed with Maria Gerasimenko, an expert at SR in fashion business management and development, how to increase sales with additional merchandise, why accessories and related products are becoming a strategic source of profit, and the role of the store team.
How to learn to effectively manage store customer traffic?
Customer traffic in shopping malls and street retail is declining; people are shopping less offline for a number of objective reasons, one of which is the convenience of online shopping with all its advantages. And yet, offline shopping continues to thrive. How can we control store traffic, learn to correctly calculate and influence the number of people visiting stores to ensure profitability?
From July 27 to 29, the Euro Shoes@CAF_Eliteline 2026 exhibition will be held in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Elite Line is an international specialized exhibition of footwear, fur, leather, and accessories. The exhibition will feature collections from international and domestic manufacturers from Russia, Turkey, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, and other countries.
"When Customers Are Few: How Fashion Store Owners Can Squeeze the Most Out of Every Customer"
In recent years, offline retail in clothing, footwear, and accessories has been operating under conditions of a steady decline in incoming traffic. By the end of 2025, offline store traffic in Russia had declined by 8-15%, with the offline segment's purchase rate declining more sharply than the overall market, according to Retail.ru. According to statistics from individual shopping centers, the decline by the end of last year was between 15 and 25%. How can salespeople effectively engage with customers in such challenging conditions? We'll explore service strategies in low traffic conditions with SR expert Elena Vinogradova, who specializes in purchasing and sales in the fashion business. The expert shares proven methods with practical examples of speech modules. Elena is confident that, in a context of declining traffic, high-quality service is becoming the main competitive advantage for the shoe industry.
The main colors of women's shoes for the fall-winter 2026/27 season
Fashion continues to embrace the language of emotion. The upcoming Fall/Winter 2026/27 season promises to be emotional and slightly reflective. Vibrancy gives way to depth, and ostentatious luxury is replaced by enveloping warmth. Five key shades of women's footwear reflect precisely these sentiments: trust in naturalness, attention to texture, and a desire to find beauty in nuances. Let's turn to the professional forecast of seasonal, cutting-edge colors from the international trend bureau Future Snoops. The selection of the Fall/Winter 2026/27 palette from Future Snoops presented in this article is an emotional map of the coming season, speaking of trust and fragile honesty, balance, inner strength, and warmth that requires no occasion. These five shades transform the seasonal footwear styles into a unique color language that can help the brand and its customers express themselves and their emotions.
Offline vs. Marketplaces: How to Survive and Win in 2026?
In Russia, e-commerce's share has grown from 5% in 2019 to nearly 23% in 2024 and continues to grow, with e-commerce market analysts predicting it will reach over 30% by 2029. Offline retail, meanwhile, can not only survive but also grow by 20-30% annually if it stops offering clothes on hangers and shoes on shelves and starts selling unique experiences. We discuss this topic with Shoes Report regular contributor Elena Vinogradova, an expert in fashion buying and sales and the author of the Fashion Business Blog, a blog for retailers and buyers.
Needs Identification Techniques That Really Work in Shoe Stores
"How can I help you?" is the most common, yet least effective, question in shoe retail. Customers rarely articulate their needs clearly. Some are shy, while others don't fully understand what they're looking for. Therefore, a salesperson's job isn't simply to suggest styles; they need to be able to identify the customer's true desires. In this article, SR expert Maria Gerasimenko and I explore five techniques that will help your staff better hear, see, and understand your customers, and therefore sell more and better.
The 37th Euro Shoes Premiere Collection exhibition concluded successfully in Moscow.
From March 4th to 7th, the International Euro Shoes Premiere Collection exhibition took place at the WTC Congress Center in Moscow. It is a specialized B2B event for footwear industry and fashion retail professionals and the key industry event of the new purchasing season and selection development for fashion retailers. Approximately 100 companies and brands participated in the exhibition, presenting their Fall/Winter 2026/27 footwear, bag, and accessory collections to professional visitors.
Revisiting classic standards of retail lighting through the lens of modern technology
Just yesterday, the principle governing retail lighting was: the brighter the light, the brighter the store, the more customers and sales. Today, this principle has lost its relevance. It has been replaced by a trend toward a well-thought-out concept, intelligently applied lighting, and carefully selected lighting fixtures. Anastasia Efremova, SR's expert in retail lighting and lighting designer at Tochka Opory, discusses current lighting principles in fashion and footwear retail, and how light helps interact with merchandise, space, and customer emotions. She will help you understand the fundamental principles of lighting through the lens of new retail space requirements.
How a fashion brand can launch a successful licensed product with a celebrity
Why fashion brands should consider licensing as a strategic tool—this is what Natalia Timashova, editor-in-chief of Shoes Report magazine, discussed with Maria Kozeeva, CEO of the Yulia Vysotskaya media holding (part of the Andrey Sergeevich Konchalovsky Production Center) and brand director of the Edim Doma and Julia Vysotskaya businesses.
How to strengthen and make your brand more sustainable
2025 has become a year of survival for many fashion brands in the challenging and rapidly changing conditions of an overheated market: declining traffic, the closure of entire chains and companies, the consolidation of sellers on marketplaces, the shift of customer traffic from offline to online—all these and other factors have impacted everyone, especially the weaker ones, those experiencing various challenges. The market has shifted to savings consumption. Some consider this a crisis, but our expert, Dania Tkacheva, a business consultant specializing in sales management and strategic development for fashion brands, calls it the maturation of the market. She offers distressed companies her own tool for diagnosing their business and opportunities for recovery and recovery. She calls this tool the Brand Maturity Pyramid.
Just a month until the Euro Shoes exhibition in Moscow!
We are counting down the days for the main international exhibition of footwear and accessories Euro Shoes Premiere Collection in Moscow! The exhibition will be held from August 27 to 30 at a new premium venue – the capital's congress center WTC on Krasnopresnenskaya Embankment.
The Battle for the Sports Shoe Market
Fashion market experts and economic analysts predict a decline in sales of Nike and Adidas. The leadership positions of the unsinkable sports giants may be seriously shaken in the coming years, as they are being pushed out by young, bold and active competitors – challenger brands. Why is this happening, and what are the main reasons for such changes? Daniya Tkacheva, a fashion market expert and practitioner with 20 years of experience in sales management, and 13 years of experience in the Nike Russia team and fashion retail, shares her view on the situation on the market in the sportswear and footwear segment.
Micam and Livetrend presented a selection of footwear trends for the spring-summer 2026 season
The Italian international footwear fair Micam presents the "Spring-Summer 2026 Trend Guide", developed in collaboration with Livetrend. The guide is based on the analysis of social networks, online marketplaces and fashion shows, as well as new technologies such as artificial intelligence and Big Data.
The share of marketplaces will grow
The footwear category on Ozon Fashion shows steady growth The share of online sales in fashion is growing, and last year it was already more than 54%. Buyers are increasingly buying clothes and shoes online, and the lion's share of these purchases are made on marketplaces. Ozon is one of the leading players in the Russian fashion market, and the Fashion direction on the platform is the fastest growing. About trends in online trading, about the specifics of the shoe market and recommendations for brands planning to sell shoes through the marketplace - in an exclusive interview with SR with the Commercial Director of the Footwear direction at Ozon Fashion Olga Moskvicheva.
Turn to Asia. Features of shoe production at a factory in China
Finding a partner factory for shoe production is not an easy process. Today, many Russian brands sew their collections in factories in China. The concept of the women's shoe brand N.early N.aked, founded in 2019, was based on the idea of producing shoes suitable for dancing, with a perfect fit. Initially, the shoes were sewn in Europe, but in 2022, shoe production was moved to China.
How to Compete with Marketplaces in 2025
The shoe business is a complex process due to the many related micro-strategies used to extract profit. It is necessary to determine how much goods to purchase, what trade margin to set, and approve the norm of balances at the end of the season. In addition, it is necessary to draw up a sales plan and decide on marketing campaigns that take into account seasonal demand and the competitive environment, set up a personnel motivation system and correctly set control points.
Rieker and Remonte will present their new collections at Euro Shoes!
The brands Rieker and Remonte, which are among the leading shoe companies in Germany, will present their Spring-Summer'26 collections in Moscow at the international exhibition of footwear and accessories Euro Shoes! The exhibition will be held from August 27 to 30, 2025 at a new premium venue in the WTC Congress Center on Krasnopresnenskaya Embankment.
New Tamaris Spring-Summer 26 Collection: Comfort and Elegance in Every Model
German footwear and accessories brand Tamaris will present its new Spring-Summer '26 collection at the Euro Shoes exhibition in Moscow, from August 27 to 30.
KV+ sneakers for city and sports for the first time at Euro Shoes
The Swiss brand KV+ is not so well known to the general Russian audience, but it is well known in the world of skiing, because it was there that KV+ took its first steps and actively developed. The Swiss brand has earned the trust of the professional sports audience over the past 35 years. At the same time, the Russian sports market of ski equipment has always been a priority for the Swiss.
Creating an emotional connection through a showcase
Emotional response from customers is the key to successful retail sales. Shop windows are capable of not only attracting attention, but also evoking emotions: from joy and nostalgia to a sense of belonging and the desire to possess. Using psychological triggers in shop window design helps turn a passerby into a buyer. SR expert in visual merchandising and retail design Viktor Malygin talks about approaches to the concept of shop window design and current themes and plots for presenting goods in shop windows.
Shoe educational program: what shoe soles are made of
“What is the difference between TEP and EVA? What does tunit promise me? Is PVC glue? What is the sole of these shoes made of? ”- the modern buyer wants to know everything. In order not to smash his face in front of him and be able to explain whether such a sole suits him in soles, carefully read this article. In it, process engineer Igor Okorokov tells what materials the soles of shoes are made of and what makes each of them so good.
How to set prices that will earn
Some businessmen still confuse the concept of margin with the concept of trade margins and set prices for their goods, guided solely by the example of competitors. No wonder they go broke! Analyst at the Academy of Retail Technologies Maxim Gorshkov gives several tips and formulas with which you can set not only ruinous, but also profitable prices.
Sales of shoes and accessories: effective techniques for business rhetoric
Which speech modules are effective in communicating with potential and current customers of shoe stores, and which are not, Anna Bocharova, a business consultant, knows.
We form the salary of sellers: expert advice
“How do you charge your consultants for personal or general sales?” Is one of the most popular questions causing a lot of controversy and gossip on the online forums of retail business owners. Indeed, how to properly form the earnings of sellers? But what about bonuses, where to get a sales plan from, do employees allow them to buy goods at discounted stores? In search of truth, the Shoes Report turned to a dozen shoe retailers, but no company wanted to disclose its motivation system - the process of its development was too complicated and individual. Then we asked four business consultants, and finally became convinced that the topic of seller motivation is very complex, because even our experts could not come to a common opinion.
The whole truth about Bayer. Who is he and how to become one?
Bayer is no longer a new, but still a popular and sought-after profession. It’s fashionable to be a buyer. Buyers are at the origins of the emergence and development of trends. If the designer offers his vision of fashion in the season, then the buyer selects the most interesting commercial ideas. It is on buyers that the policy of sales of stores and what, in the end, the buyer will wear depends on. This profession is surrounded by a magical fleur, often associated with a lack of understanding of what exactly is the work of a buyer.
Technology Selling Issues
There is nothing worse than meeting the buyer with the words “Hello, can I help you with something?”, Because the seller works in the store just to help. Criticizing this well-established pattern of communication with the buyer, Andrei Chirkarev, business coach for effective sales and the founder of the New Economy project, shares the technology of truly selling issues with readers of Shoes Report.
Fur, and not only: types of lining
In the production of winter footwear, various materials are used that are designed to retain heat and meet the requirements of consumers: natural sheepleather, artificial fur, artificial fur from natural wool and others. All types of lining fur have their own advantages and disadvantages. Let's consider the properties of each of them.
The best models of Czech shoes of the past
In Soviet times, for shoes from Czechoslovakia sold under the Cebo brand, customers stood in line for four hours and did not regret it, because Czech shoes were considered to be of high quality, comfortable and fashionable. Shoe designer Juraj Shushka shared a photo archive of his collection with Shoes Report magazine, which contains the most interesting Cebo models from the 1940's to the 1980's.
Retail Arithmetic
Before you begin to solve specific problems, you need to find out how accurately all the leaders of your company understand the basic terminology of retail.
How to fire a worker without tears, scandal and trial
Sooner or later, any manager is faced with the need to part with an employee. Correctly and on time the dismissal procedure will save the company money, and the boss himself - nerves and time. But why sometimes, knowing that a break in relations is inevitable, we postpone the decision for months?
