Scarpe di Bianco

Classic handmade Italian shoes with a contemporary touch. William White wanted to prove luxury, craftsmanship and comfort could coexist. Multiple constructions, small batch Italian manufacturing.

William White did not enter the shoe industry by chance. A graduate of Western University with an MBA from Thunderbird, he honed his skills at Sutor Mantellassi, a centennial Italian shoe company, before leading d'Avenza Fashion. In 2009, he created Scarpe di Bianco - literally "White's shoes" in Italian.

His initial idea was simple, almost provocative: comfort does not have to be the enemy of luxury. At the time, in high-end men's footwear, advocating for comfort was considered sacrilege. White wanted to prove otherwise.

Manufacturing is entrusted to third and fourth-generation Neapolitan workshops. Fourteen pairs a day, no more. Everything is handmade, including the soles - a rarity, even in the artisanal segment. The leather, exclusively Italian, is hand-stretched over lasts where the uppers rest for ten days for a perfect fit. A detail that can't be invented: the burnishing process uses champagne.

The brand offers several constructions - Goodyear welt, Norwegian welt, Blake Rapid, Bologna. This is both a strength and a trap for the unaware buyer: not all lines are Goodyear welted. To be checked before pulling out your card.

Three ranges structure the offering. The Premium line, benchmade and entirely handmade, between $1,050 and $1,395. The SPQR line, launched in 2015 to respond to the casualization of luxury, is more flexible and relaxed. And the Easy Chic sneakers, with proprietary soles. The SPQR line grew from 10% of turnover to nearly 60%. Neapolitan artisans initially resisted, continuing to produce thick and rigid leathers out of habit. Prolonged collaboration was needed to achieve the flexibility White desired.

The manufacturing quality is widely praised by enthusiasts: lightness, immediate comfort, little break-in needed. Customer service is described as attentive, contacting buyers to discuss fit before shipping. Comparisons with Sutor Mantellassi, Bontoni, or high-end Santoni are frequent. Regarding reservations, the aesthetic divides opinions: some find the shapes too chiseled, the burnishing too pronounced. And the full price of the entry-level line is not always deemed justified given the construction offered. The real challenge remains brand awareness: a brand recognized by specialized press and connoisseurs, but still difficult to evaluate for those who cannot try it on.