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<\/a><\/p>\nVR: Your educational background?<\/p>\n
MT: I studied foreign languages and International Business Culture at the University of Urbino and earned my bachelor\u2019s degree there.<\/p>\n
MT: I\u2019m married to Laura, who was actually my very first client when I started exploring shoemaking. The first pair I made for her was a dark burgundy side-lace Oxford, which was a well-loved style at the time. She\u2019s always been very supportive and has a great eye for design: some of her suggestions, like a black pigskin two-tie derby with grosgrain, have ended up being quite popular among my clients!<\/p>\n VR: …and your parents’ and siblings’ reactions back when you decided to become a shoemaker?<\/p>\n MT: It wasn\u2019t an immediate decision for me, so my family wasn\u2019t really surprised when I said I wanted to become a shoemaker. It was more of a gradual, steady process. The biggest challenge for them was probably finding space at home for all my tools and the finishing machine while I was still living there! But apart from that, they were very supportive, even when it started out as just a weekend hobby.<\/p>\n MT: I love boxing, and I can\u2019t live without my weekly sparring session. Travelling is really important for me too, and I try to do at least one big trip each year. A friend\u2019s grandfather used to say, \u2018There\u2019s more time than life,\u2019 which I think is a great reminder to step outside your comfort zone and see what else is beautiful out there. I\u2019m also really into wine and viticulture: they\u2019re expressions of the environment and the producer\u2019s personality\u2026 a bit like shoemaking, in a way!<\/p>\n MT: My parents and I are from Barletta<\/a>, a city in Puglia in the south of Italy, where one of the main footwear districts has always been based in. Both of them worked in those factories when they were teenagers, so I like to think that the seed of my interest in shoemaking came from their experience.<\/p>\n MT: It\u2019s been a long journey, and I\u2019m still learning. First of all, I\u2019m very grateful to everyone who\u2019s shared their knowledge with me along the way. I actually started while I was at university, and I used to spend every Saturday morning at an old cobbler\u2019s, Gabriele’s, home learning how to repair and polish shoes. Friends and relatives would give me their shoes, and I\u2019d work on them for free just to practise.<\/p>\n Riccardo Cianci of Calzoleria Carlino<\/a> was holding a course in Traditional Lastmaking at the time, so I went to Italy to take the course with him, and that\u2019s where I learned how to measure feet and carve lasts. Just before Brexit, I briefly visited London looking for opportunities as an outworker and reached out to several houses in the West End. That\u2019s when Adam Law<\/a>, who was Workshop Manager at Cleverley at the time, started sending me repair work to Sweden\u2014and that\u2019s really how my professional career began.<\/p>\n A few months later, he told me about an opening for an apprentice lastmaker. I didn\u2019t hesitate\u2014I left my job, moved to London, and joined Cleverley, where I worked as a lastmaker for five years. During that time, I also learned a great deal from John Carnera and from travelling with George Glasgow Jr for trunk shows in the US, which gave me valuable experience in client relations and service.<\/p>\n MT: My years at Cleverley have definitely influenced the shape of my lasts. At the moment, I\u2019m gradually moving towards softer shapes together with a lower toe spring, and I\u2019m drawing more inspiration from Italian patterns, especially those featured in La Scarpa Maschile<\/em> by Irvana Malabarba, which I consider a bit of a bible. So I\u2019d say the house style is evolving, but it sits somewhere between the structure of English shoemaking and the elegance and lightness of Italian design.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n VR: Do you have a favourite shoe model (eg. monk, derby, oxford, balmoral boot) and leather type?<\/p>\n MT: I have quite a high instep, so I tend to wear derby shoes. Lately, I\u2019ve also been enjoying Chukka boots and Adelaide Oxfords. But styles go in cycles\u2026so if you ask me again in three years, I might be all about a low-vamp loafer.<\/p>\n VR: There are several fine shoemakers in England — why should my readers try you?<\/p>\n MT: England, and especially London, has some truly outstanding shoemakers, so it\u2019s a privilege to be part of that tradition. What I think sets me apart is the combination of influences behind my work: the Italian subtle sense of style and wearability, and the lastmaking training in England. That mix shapes both the aesthetic and the way I approach this craft. I try to offer something that balances structure, elegance and lightness with a strong focus on fitting, details and on building a personal relationship with each client. For me, it\u2019s not just about making shoes, but about creating something that really reflects the individual wearing them.<\/p>\n MT: For me, a well-made shoe is well-structured but also light and flexible. It supports you comfortably throughout the day, looks smart without being flashy, and has a hint of personality that makes it yours on that particular occasion. Lastly, when you put it on, it should feel effortless!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n VR: Who or what inspires you?<\/p>\n MT: Calzoleria Gatto, Gaetano Messina, Anthony Cleverley, Dimitri Gomez, Emiko Matsuda, Muhammad Ali, Diego Armando Maradona, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, The White Stripes, ’90s Armani, Missoni, Raffaella Carr\u00e0, vintage cars (I hate driving though), Paul Thomas Anderson.<\/p>\n MT: This has been a topic for ages, and yet the bespoke side of shoemaking is still flourishing. I can\u2019t control rising costs, and I can\u2019t predict the future, but, as a small operation, I can focus on flexibility. By experimenting with new materials and approaches, while staying true to the craftsmanship and values that make shoemaking unique, I hope to keep offering something meaningful to clients.<\/p>\n<\/a>VR: Have you any children or spouse (and how do they relate to your shoe enthusiasm)?<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>VR: What other hobbies or passions do you have besides footwear?<\/p>\n<\/a>VR: How did you first become interested in shoes, and when did you turn your eyes towards artisanal shoemaking? Why classic models instead of fashion?<\/p>\n<\/a>VR: How have you gathered your knowledge of the gentle craft — from books, in-house training, workshops, or somewhere else?<\/p>\n<\/a>Later, I moved to Sweden, where I lived from 2015 to 2021. I was working in a wine bar and, fortunately, the owners were very supportive and gave me time off to pursue shoemaking. During that period, I travelled to Japan twice: first to Kobe to learn from Atsushi Onai at Il Quadrifoglio<\/a>, and then to Yokohama to study with Toru Saito<\/a>. At the same time, I kept practising shoemaking at home during my days off from hospitality and developed a strong interest in lastmaking. I guess YouTube and Instagram had a lot to do with this.<\/p>\n<\/a>VR: How would you describe the “House Style” of Torre footwear?<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>VR: What is your definition of a well-made shoe?<\/p>\n<\/a>VR: Finally, how do you see the future of British shoemaking under the pressure of rising costs of living, difficulties with finding fine quality leather, etc?<\/p>\n