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A shoe-in
No footwear holds a more iconic status in popular culture than sneakers. After the first plimsoll was released in the early 1900s, each decade can claim a style that’s endemic of its time. The 70s brought us skaters as well as the Rolling Stones, the 80s saw the rise of the high top, and the 90s were all about the Spice Girls and iconic chunky platforms. That’s before we even get to those iconic names in sneakerdom; Michael Jordan, Phile Nike, Stan Smith, Chuck Taylor. Nothing else can blend cool and comfort in quite the same way as the perfect pair of sneakers, and they’ve transitioned seamlessly from sportswear to streetwear in recent years. At Archibald, we’ve kept a close eye on the rise of the classic, clean-cut Italian sneaker which has become ubiquitous over the past decade. After watching all of the big names in luxury footwear (the ones we keep saying are inferior) release their own versions of handmade Italian sneakers, we finally threw our hat in the ring.
Picture a day in your own life. You might be running to catch a train, you may have several meetings to get to on time, or you might be heading out for dinner and drinks after a long day. Most importantly, you don’t want to be doing any of these things in a pair of shoes that slows you down. Especially if they're sneakers. We wanted to make footwear that will take someone through an ordinary day in style and in comfort, no matter what the weather might be or where they need to go.
Moving out of Mirandola
Usually, we go out searching for a product with a specific vision in mind of what we want to make. Or a brand whose feathers we want to ruffle by making a better product at a disruptive price point. When we stumbled upon our first sneaker, the Ghirlandina, we thought we had found 'the one.' The workshop we were working with at the time had been making our dress shoe collection, and took us to their archives where we ultimately found our first sneaker. We went on to develop our SF - 01 and SF - 01 v2 with the same craftsman, but then we began to find fundamental issues with the construction that led to several jarring re-makes.
We went through several frustrating cycles of tests and reconstructions in response to video footage and feedback from industry experts highlighting glaring issues with the construction. We stuck it out with our craftsman as we believed in our partnership, until we found out he had been shipping us fraudulent product. Needless to say, we looked elsewhere for a new workshop.
Keeping it in Corridonia
We found our answer in Corridonia, Italy, in a small but extremely competent workshop run by two partners. Their quality was unparalleled and their attention to detail allowed us breathe easier after the hardships we had encountered from our first craftsman. When we met with the new artisans in Corridonia, we told them our goal was to create the perfect Italian sneaker, and we inquired what we needed to do to get there. Their very first run out of the gate, this workshop fixed all of the issues with our SF - 01 v2, allowing us to introduce: the SF - 01 v3.
With their partnership, we have expanded our range of sneakers into several other versions, including our mid-tops and ULTRAlights. We have been able to source and work with a variety of different leathers and colors, including an 'anticato' process where our sneakers are hand painted. Partnering with them has been a breathe of fresh air, which is a testament to how far compromise and integrity will get you. Suffice it to say, going forward we're keeping it in Corridonia.
