The Luigi Voltan Shoe Company is a shoemaker founded in the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

village of

Stra Stra is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Venice, Veneto, Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peni ...

in 1898 by Giovanni Luigi Voltan (1873–1941). After returning to Italy from the United States, Voltan introduced serialized production process for his factory. The mechanization of some phases of the cycle allowed him to cut costs, which lowered the price for consumers. The quick growth of the Voltan

footwear Footwear refers to garments worn on the feet, which typically serve the purpose of protective clothing, protection against adversities of the environment such as wear from rough ground; stability on slippery ground; and temperature. *Shoes and si ...

factory became the basis for the development of the

Riviera del Brenta () is an Italian word which means , ultimately derived from Latin , through Ligurian . It came to be applied as a proper name to the coast of Liguria (the Genoa region in northwestern Italy) in the form , then shortened in English. Riviera ma ...

footwear district.

Background

In 1898, Stra was a little country village of the Venetian hinterland that was affected, like many others, by the agricultural crisis. As emigration seemed to be the only alternative to unemployment, Voltan left the country for

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. At that time, shoe manufacturing was a significant industry in Boston. The U.S. footwear production was very much industrialized; it was characterized by division of the

production cycle Filmmaking or film production is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, beginning with an initial story, idea, or commission. Production then continues through screenwriti ...

, and mechanization of the

manufacturing Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of the secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer ...

phases. Voltan was hired by large companies and worked in different departments. He mastered the serialized production process, concluding that these techniques should be used in Italy.

Production

Returning to Stra gave Voltan many advantages over more traditional Italian shoe makers who were still bound to manual production.

Sewing machine Diagram of a modern sewing machine Animation of a modern sewing machine as it stitches A sewing machine is a machine used to sew fabric and materials together with thread. Sewing machines were invented during the first Industrial Revolutio ...

s for leather and hides marketed by the

Singer Corporation Singer Corporation is an American manufacturer of consumer sewing machines, first established as I. M. Singer & Co. in 1851 by Isaac Singer, Isaac M. Singer with New York lawyer Edward Cabot Clark, Edward C. Clark. Best known for its sewing mac ...

were beginning to spread throughout Italy, but these machines were too simple for mass production. The few shoe factories in existence at that time were extensions of craft shops rather than production lines. Voltan started a

workshop Beginning with the Industrial Revolution era, a workshop may be a room, rooms or building which provides both the area and tools (or machinery) that may be required for the manufacture or repair of manufactured goods. Workshops were the only ...

in his native village, using American and German machinery. In 1904, he employed between 400 and 500 workers, producing 1,000 shoes a day. The mechanization of some phases of the cycle allowed him to cut costs, which lowered the price for consumers. It was a strategic choice. He created his own retail sales network so that he could sell directly to consumers and thus undercut his competitors. He opened shops throughout Italy prior to the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. After Giovanni Luigi, his son Emanuele ran the company, as well as his nephew Giovanni, together with his two sons Emanuele and Marco. The quick growth of the Voltan footwear factory was an example for others, and it was the basis for the development of the

footwear district. Thus, the Voltan factory became the catalyst for one of many new industries in Italy during that period.Giorgio Roverato – docent of Economic History at the University of Padova.

References

External links

Replica ShoesMoldable Insoles
Shoe brands Shoe companies of Italy Clothing companies established in 1898 Italian companies established in 1898 {{Italy-company-stub

Background

Production

See also

References

External links