The first family owned company to support our dream of creating handcrafted sneakers in Italy was IFG Srl from Corridonia in the Marche region. The IFG artisans are lead by Mario, a cordwainer (shoemaker) with more than 40 years of shoemaking expertise, and his son Giacomo. Once being an apprentice himself, Mario developed a programme to train young aspiring shoemakers. He enlisted the help of two retired master cordwainers and set up a tutoring programme to ensure the trainees, one day, become masters themselves. Trained by his father Mario, Giacomo decided to step fully into his father's footsteps by taking over the company a few years ago to ensure the Grassetti shoemaking legacy is continued.
"I have always had a passion for creating beautiful hand-crafted shoes. Today, more than ever, there is a real need to continue passing this knowledge on before it is LOST forever."
Mario Grassetti
IFG expertly craft footwear for some of the leading luxury houses on the planet. They work tirelessly for their community and share our common goal to keep the crafts alive by continuing to practice their craft while incorporating a social and ethical approach towards their workforce.
Father and Son are very proud of their country and have a compassionate approach towards many of the challenges facing Italy today. As passionate supporters of the local community, they have also embraced the migrant crisis affecting Italy, by personally supporting education and employment opportunities for refugees who have gained legal status in Italy, at their family-run business.
Sneakers crafted by Mario and Giacomo bear the IFG name:
CRAFTED SOCIETY by IFG - Impresa Famigliare Grassetti
Read their full story here
