Dedication and passion have a way of permeating great works of art. Those with the finely tuned instinct see it in a brushstroke, a touch of color, or the smoothness of a marble surface. Even the casual observer picks up on this aura of excellence and beauty. Among the many objects of precision and art are the creations of Italian master cobbler Franco Sarto. Behind his craft lays decades of experience and love that make each shoe a stroke of art.
Franco Sarto’s Spring-Summer collection presents seven of the latest styles that encompass all women. From the bolder Punched Out and Studded Out to the classically cut Back-to-Work, the collection spans demographics to offer a taste of quality and style to everyone. Women can prepare for the summer weather with the Exotic Traveler and the Isle of Capri lines that feature tribal prints and jute and jewels, respectively. American Vintage is capable of bringing out the square-dancing cowgirl in all of us, while Soft Touch provides the dainty and feminine foil with bows and knots.
With over 20 years of careful crafting with hammer and of designing with pen and paper, Sarto keeps true to his vocation without the need for technology. “There is a sense of love that is there with the traditional [ways of making shoes],” Sarto explains. “Software can only give an image. It’s not something I can feel. I need to touch the shoe, from heel to the [design on top].” Indeed, it’s this master’s touch, the intuition that one garners from years of honing their skill that makes Franco Sarto’s shoes not only a thing of beauty, but an object of quality and luxury.
It is these two inseparable things that set Franco Sarto apart from other shoemakers and brands. “To me, the design of the shoe and the making of it go hand in hand. If I were to design a beautiful shoe, but make it so uncomfortable, then it would just sit in the store. And if I were to make a very comfortable, but ugly, shoe, then it would still just sit in the store. No one would want either.”
His extensive training in the making of shoes has led to his reverence for the often overlooked art of making the shoe. This he oversees with as much attention as he can afford. Yet he revels in the moment of discovery at the very beginning of developing a collection. “It’s that moment when you start to think, the starting point, just like how a woman becomes excited at the idea of buying something rather than at the actual buying,” he shares. This moment of inspiration and limitless possibility is by far his favorite of the design process.
“The women I’ve seen here in Manila can easily be the women that I see walking down the streets in New York and Milan. Styles have become global,” says Sarto. It is this universality that he strives to achieve with each pair of shoes he creates. “There was a moccasin that first came out seven years ago, the Bocca, which became a favorite of all ages of women. In fact, it’s still being produced because of the high demand. I love to see that, when my shoes are worn by all women for a long time.”
And, for as long as he can, Franco Sarto will be providing women around the world with luxurious heels dipped in artistry.
