Our Heritage: The Golden Slipper

Our first blog where we explain the story behind our brand and connect you to the people that craft your shoes.

Before gaining a global following for premium leather football boots and luxurious lifestyle shoes, Pantofola d’Oro was a small shoe-making shop in Ascoli Piceno. We were called Calzaturifico Lazzarini. We opened in 1886, started making custom football boots for the local team in the 1950s, and then for international footballers. And then, we made a pair for a professional footballer called John Charles.

These aren’t boots, they’re slippers. Golden slippers, Charles said, giving a seal of approval that saw us rebrand as Pantofola d’Oro, which literally translates to “slippers of gold”. Charles’ endorsement secured our position as one of the world’s finest manufacturers of football boots. And even though we now produce products for customers across the world (we deliver to over 70 countries), we still use the same manufacturing techniques that created our original golden slippers. 

When we design our shoes, we take inspiration from our archives. And, having sourced the finest leather in Italy, we’ll take it to our factory in Ascoli Piceno, where we’ll treat and condition it so that it feels even more buttery soft. Once that’s done, we’ll carefully cut out every section for the design we’re making. Then, we’ll stitch the pieces together, to create a completely unique shoe that’s handmade in Italy.

It’s all part of Pantofola d’Oro’s value of excellence. For us, a careful and lengthy manufacturing process is about pride in our history, and that’s why we’re still based where we started in Ascoli Piceno. This photo captures the attention to detail that our team has when they’re creating our shoes, whether football or lifestyle.

Our shoes are inspired by 1950s football, updated with modern features; it’s an approach that keeps customers coming back. Which, for a company that started in 1886, in a small shop, is part of our secret to success, at home and across the world.

And, this pride in our heritage is what sets us apart - whether we’re making a Superleggera Leather Football Boot, a Foro Italico Leather Sneaker, or something custom for a professional footballer called John Charles, in a small office in our little town in Italy.