Astorflex

Quietly beavering away in the small town of Castel d'Ario since 1820, Astorflex is one of Italy's oldest shoemakers – and still very much a family affair. CEO Fabio Travenzoli is the sixth generation of his family to run the factory, and he’s already training up his son, Guilio, to take over the reins one day.

Using carefully selected leathers, craftsmanship comes front and centre here – and every last boot or shoe is made in-house from the very best natural materials. The calf leather linings and insoles are vegetable-tanned without harsh chemicals, the soles are mostly natural rubber, and even the adhesives they use are water-based throughout. After the First World War, the company adopted the ‘ideal’ method of constructing shoes – a skilled stitching process that takes a little longer but makes for a drastically more durable boot.

The result is footwear that's soft, flexible and moulds to your feet over time – classic shapes like desert boots, chukkas and hikers that’ll go wherever your feet take you. From street-corner cafés to the mountains and savannahs, this level of quality is generations in the making.