We are a company, found it in the 19th century. My name is Fabio, Travenzoli and I own Astorflex, a company whose name was invented by my father Alfredo, who, together with his brother Bettino, succeeded in the business of their father Daniele, and of their grandfather Ferdinando. At the beginning of the 19th century in Castel D’Ario (Mantova) we are the first shoe factory was set up, there were lots of small family run workshops that produced handmade footwear with leather uppers and wooden souls. After the first world war, at the outset of industrialization, the small “Fratelli Travenzoli” company started to produce different types of footwear, using the “ideal” method (outer stitching along the edge of the soul), that I have pursued since 1984.

We use leather, natural, rubber and water-based adhesive. The lining and insoles are in vegetable, tanned, calf leather, obtained by soaking the leather in a mixture of water and powdered oak, bark, and Mimosa, without using dyes or color finishes. This process makes the leather healthier, hypoallergenic and guarantees, greater sweat absorption for dry, odorless feet. Most of our souls are natural rubber, consisting in coagulated latex from the rubber tree. The various shoe parts are assembled, using water-based adhesives.

Responsible, transparent, and suitable approach: I personally supervise the company production process that now also includes new manufacturing methods implemented with a responsible, transparent end, as far as possible. A sustainable approach with ongoing research into new materials prevails, and the study/design of ever-topical models now also involves the collaboration of famous designers. All our models are designed and developed to be comfortable: above all, they are flexible, soft, and quickly adapt to the users’ feet. We employ Italian leather for the upper shoe, in particular leather coming from the master tanneries in Tuscany.