| Bontoni | |
| Type: | Private (Three Generations) |
| Industry: | Men's Shoes |
| Products: | Shoes and Belts |
| Services: | bespoke and ready-to-wear |
| Homepage: | www.bontoni.com |
Bontoni is a luxury Italian shoemaker that makes handmade men's dress shoes. Bontoni's nine-person workshop is located on the outskirts of Montegranaro in the Marche Region of Italy.
Bontoni is a third-generation luxury Italian shoemaker that manufactures handmade men's shoes. Bontoni was founded in 2004 by Franco Gazzani (third-generation family shoemaker) and his distant cousin Lewis Cutillo.[1] [2] Prior to 2004, Gazzani's grandfather, uncle, and father made custom shoes for a limited number of clients under no label. Many of the models carried by the brand were originally created by Gazzani's father and grandfather.[3] [4] [5] The name Bontoni originated from the French bon ton, which means sophisticated manner.[6]
Bontoni's nine artisans produce just 2600 pairs a year. From start to finish, each pair of Bontoni shoes takes about 14 weeks to complete and nearly 26 working hours. Bontoni's Casa e Bottega, or home-based workshop, is located in Gazzani's basement in The Marches Region of Italy. It represents Bontoni one of the last remaining established, in-home family-owned artisanal workshops in all of Italy.[5]
Bontoni employs hand-colored leathers, original designs, and hand workmanship. Bontoni's bespoke, or su misura offering requires 2-3 separate fittings and can take 7–10 months to complete.[7] Bontoni's ready-made collection is available at a small number of retailers throughout the world that include Bergdorf Goodman, Harrods, Wilkes Bashford, Beymen, Richard's, Mario's, Boyds, Stanley Korshak, Harry Rosen, as well as several others.[4]