About
OUR STORY
Mark Albert started as a passion of mine to find the perfect Chelsea boot while I was in college on a college budget. I launched a Kickstarter after partnering with a factory in my own hometown whose team is now like a family to me. We are focused on delivering durable, quality footwear made by our factory partners both in Somerset, Pennsyvlania and in the Veneto region of Italy. Our factory partners have been operating since 1948 (USA) and 1969 (Italy) and have a fundamental understanding of the process of handcrafting high-quality and long-lasting footwear. We want to push the envelope in design and functionality while staying committed to offering the most affordable and fair price to our very valued customer community.
Italian Heritage Collection
As it turns out, my passion for footwear and the entire process may be more of a reflection of my family than I had once realized. My Nonno (great-grandfather), was born in the small town of Fiumedinisi, Sicily in 1895. After serving in WWI and surviving a prisoner of war camp, he and his family immigrated to the United States in 1922 and settled in another small town, Rockwood, PA. Here, my Nonno opened up a shoe repair shop. In 1939, my Nonno moved his shoe repair shop to nearby Somerset, PA. Here, my grandfather and great-aunt worked with my Nonno in his shop where it was typical to repair at least 30 to 40 pairs of shoes per day. My Nonno worked as a cobbler in his shop in Somerset until he was 86 years old.
We are proud to be manufacturing our Italian Heritage styles with our partner factory in Italy as a tribute to my heritage and a testament to our commitment to quality, heritage and craftsmanship.
Built from the ground up and vetted for quality, we are excited to offer footwear valued at $700+ for our direct to consumer cost of under $400
Today, we are still grateful to have partnered with our incredible factory in Somerset, Pennsylvania and the people behind our domestic products. Learn more about our domestic factory partner here.