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When Federico took his first steps as a shoemaker, the mismatch was backwards: it was not the masters who struggled to find young people willing to learn. It was he who wanted to learn, and he couldn’t find masters. It all started here. Today Federico Badia, 37, calls himself a master shoemaker: in his workshop along Orvieto’s Corso, he handcrafts fine men’s shoes for a very select audience. It takes him about two months to make a pair. Master, because in his workshops open especially to foreign students, he conveys the value of this work. He is the protagonist of CNA Storie of the Month.
In search of a master shoemaker
“I went around Italy looking for a master,” Federico tells. “Everyone told me, ‘We don’t need one.’ Then I changed my approach. I said, ‘I’m not looking for work, I just want to learn.‘ I found a master in Rome, and stayed with him for two years. I needed to earn money, so in the meantime I was waiting tables, participating in markets, but the one with my master was a life-changing experience. The thing that is most important to me is the value of this craft, which is not a way to create money. This is really my life. Success will come, if it comes,” says Federico.
I said, “I’m not looking for work, I just want to learn.”
Bespoke: “yours, even before you’re ready”
Bespoke is a concept that master shoemaker Federico holds close to his heart. “It is something more than handmade: I know personally who commissions the shoe from me. I work on every stitch, and the result is that in ‘made-to-measure’ the shoe is yours, even before it is ready,” he explains. The raw material is of absolute quality, because Federico resorts exclusively to Italian tanneries. “We selected the best ones, the ones that offer us the best quality. We’ve never had supply problems in the supply chain, because they’re all Italian,” Federico clarifies, explaining why his custom-made shoes are intended exclusively for a male audience: ”women’s shoes are too tied to fashion: every season the heel changes, the toe changes. Doing everything by hand, I can’t keep up with the times.”
The young artisan and CNA
In his choices, the young artisan Federico has always had CNA by his side. “I found people with experience, who have been behind artisans for many years. Leaning on entities like CNA makes it a lot easier and creates the conditions to get to know other artisans.”
Competition that is not scary
Federico’s attention to every detail is a guarantee, the security that shields him from any pitfall. “Competition is necessary; it guarantees a higher level of quality for the end customer. If a shoemaker opened a store here in front of me to make custom-made shoes, I would say to myself, ‘Fine, I’ll prove that I make them better than he does.’ Who is it that benefits? The customer, because you raise the quality.” As for the generational transition, Federico is clear: “My children will have to learn how to make shoes, whether it’s for themselves or to come and work here as shoemakers. But in this case, I would like them to go work somewhere else for a year or two to gain experience away from their parents.”
Meeting with Hannah, master leatherworker
This is the future she envisions for her children. Because Federico’s story, in addition to work and passion, is also studded with happy encounters: like the one with Hannah, a young student traveling to Orvieto, now his wife and mother of Edmond and Sebastian. “She is phenomenal,” says Federico. She learned quickly, with great humility. I don’t tell her anything anymore today. She has become a master leatherworker herself. The only thing she doesn’t have is the patience to make shoes! She was clear from the start,” smiles Federico.
The secret of a craftsman? Knowing how to say “no”
Federico’s secret seems to be just that, in life as in work: to listen, perceive and respect the needs, aspirations and desires of those in front of, or next to, him. And once priorities are lined up, don’t experience limits as surrender. “I used to welcome all requests. Today I’m sure instead that a craftsman’s best weapon is learning to say ‘no, I’m sorry.’ I limit myself to making ten pairs of shoes a year, I could make more, I would earn twice as much. But then, playing Legos with the kids, who’s up for that?”.
