Buttero: passion made in boot
The 100% Made in Italy footwear brand is strongly rooted in Tuscany. Massimiliano and Claudio Sani, the founder's sons, share with us their story, secrets and anecdotes about the brand launched with Spaghetti Boots
Dish of the day: spaghetti boots, a.k.a Boots Buttero style. Directions: blend together Tuscan sauce and strong roots in the countryside of Florence's surroundings. Add wise handicraft production and the tradition of 'butteri' - typical shepherds on horse of this region, known for their transhumances (some even regard them as Italy's cowboys.) The result will be a genuine product, releasing scents of craftsmanship. The recipe's secret? To be passed down from generation to generation. One last tip: still great if managed by a local supply chain. Enjoy throughout the globe.
Is this a provocation? Not that much. The above mentioned mix of ingredients takes shape in the 100% Italian boots (Spaghetti boots) made by Buttero, a company born in the 1970s in Fucecchio (Florence) from the initiative of the founder and current president Mauro Sani. A shoemakers story continued nowadays by the founder's three sons: Luca (52 years old) sales manager, Claudio (5 years younger) who manages production, and Massimiliano (born in 1976) responsible for collection development. They 'hold the reins' of a brand with a handcrafted soul which only relies on local supply chains (hides are tanned in the nearby town of Santa Croce sull'Arno); a brand which boasts, however, a strong presence worldwide and which will directly pass on to the patron's five grandchildren, one of whom, Tommaso, already works for the company.
Stories, passion, secrets, anecdotes, and emotions of Buttero's universe are shared with the readers of Playgroundshop.com in this interview with Massimiliano and Claudio Sani. A two-voice talk in the company premises, on a warm early spring Wednesday morning in the Tuscan hills.
A historic advertising campaign of the brand.
Massimiliano, how did you decide to make boots your flagship product, still regularly proposed in all of your collections?
Our father loved Tex Willer and Zagos comics, he used to drive a Land Rover wearing his bow tie and a cowboy hat, that's how he identified himself. When he was young, he worked in the tanneries of Santa Croce, then he entered the footwear industry as a manual worker. He started producing shoes branded Mauro Sani in 1963-1964. He was a true façonista at the beginning, he only produced what the market demanded. The turning point came in 1974, as he was asked to create his own brand name. America had a great influence on his inspiration, but not on the name. Our father thought of producing western-style men's boots similar to Texas ones, yet with an Italian trade mark. The very first distinguishing feature of our product was its deviating from the normal practice. In those years, Tuscany produced loafers, Buttero specialized in the production of so-called stove pipe boots instead. Men's collections were almost immediately complemented with women's proposals, still present in our collections nowadays.
So when did the turning point come?
One day, during a trade fair in Bologna, an American buyer saw the boots, and nicknamed them "Spaghetti boots". In that period, with Sergio Leone's movies first, and the Bud Spencer-Terence Hill duo later, the Italian style Spaghetti Western genre was becoming very popular in our Country, drawing inspiration from USA. Our boots were labeled as Italian/Texan, they came with pointed toe and in hand treated cowhide. The consolidation for Buttero boots with the general public arrived some time later, always during a trade show in Bologna, thanks to a western wagon-style stand set up with huge wooden wheels and a white canvas cover, as depicted in movies. Well, the isle ended up being totally crowded with people who stopped over attracted by the strong interest in the brand.
Buttero's coveryor and manifacturing. On the right, Claudio Sani during the interview.
Why was it called Buttero?
Horses, nature, and boots were perfectly embedded in the image of the so-called 'buttero,' the best representation of Italy's cowboy. In Tuscany, the term is widely used because of the presence of horse-riding shepherds typical of the Maremma, but it is used also in Northern Italy, for example in the mangled version Buttèro.
And what about the star in the logo?
Our father was obsessed with America's influence...
What is your core business today?
In a versatile, contemporary way, our new generation has chosen to specialize also in the production of other shoe types. For example Sneakers, made our way though, using calfskin as the main material, like we do for boots. Mixing expertise and tradition. Season after season, we propose some 100 pieces and sales for men's models and women's ones have more or less the same weight. Besides, we keep on with our equestrian line, which includes a custom made line.
Where is the brand being distributed today?
In addition to Italy, we also sell in Japan, Europe and America, in department stores like Barneys, which has never missed out on a single season's collection since 1989.
What celebrities have worn Buttero?
Speaking of Western style, Giuliano Gemma has worn our boots. Some years ago, our father met and was fascinated by a guy who rode a horse although he was blind. He wasn't as famous as he is nowadays, even if he had already started singing. I am talking about Andrea Bocelli. An exclusive Tuscan saddlery shop ordered a customized model with black gaiters just for him. And then, among others, Carlo Cracco wore our boots for Lavazza 2014 calendar, in the photograph where the chef holds a chicken and an egg in his hands.
Some precision die cutters for the cutting of the leather.
Managing a brand that refers to horse-riding shepherds means, above all, knowing their world. Claudio, tell us about the transhumance.
In the early 1990s, I participated as a sponsor and assistant in the crossing from Calpalbio, in the heart of Maremma, to Verona, chosen as the finishing stage, where the international horse exhibition Fieracavalli was being held. A tough journey, indeed; as far as I remember, only seven out of sixteen horses got to the destination. The route had been divided into ten stages, 150-200 km each. We had to leave earlier to reach the places where the butteri stopped to rest the animals in the stables. The shepherds' genuine nature was best represented by one of the participants, Rampichino: 86 years old, quite a character, he sat in the saddle with his trench coat and his hat. I still remember, when we stopped over in populous cities, he used to say: "Oh dear! How weird they are!" referring to the inhabitants. But clearly enough, he was the weird one here, so suited to country life instead!
What is a secret of your boots?
The lateral fit system of the Maremma model, which is virtually never used today, as it is put to ornamental use only, by now. However, it is the very ancestor of boot zippers, which come precisely from butteri.
What do you mean, exactly?
It's a masterstroke! It's a sort of chain made out of small strings running into each other with a loop on top that blocks them. It is used to open the boot leg completely in order to fit in trousers. It is little used nowadays because it has been replaced by elasticated boots, but in respect of local tradition, we still use it in the equestrian line. Butteri work on horseback, they guide cows using a stick as a prolongation of their arm. They unlatch fences through a particular movement of the horse, directing the animal through leg strokes. Since they cannot wear regular trousers, they use pieces of cowhide as a sort of protective apron, which they secure to their boots.
Claudio Sani shows how the lateral fit system of the Maremma model works.
Massimiliano, what are your passions?
Our father loves animals in general and, talking of 'horsepower,' he is even fond of vintage cars. In the 1970s, this passion of his led him to race three times in the Mille Miglia competition, and he also participated in the Winter Marathon driving an MT4 Maserati, a Giulietta Sprint, and a Jaguar XK120, which he still keep in the stables. His passion for cars even brought him to design a driving shoes collection called H.P. Italian motor shoes. I love both cars and motorbikes, I am crazy about a 1976 Honda Motorcycle model with which I will take part in the Wheels and Waves rally in Biarritz next June, an impressive event for surfers and bikers. Luca, our second father, is more keen on working at 360 degrees. Over the years, he has thoroughly enhanced Buttero's brand awareness, bringing it to success.
Claudio, a merit and a flaw of your job?
Let's start from tedious things (he laughs, ndr.) Our job surely absorbs a lot of energies, but one of the most complicated aspects is the difficulty in finding qualified workers, even in the face of the crisis. We have some forty people in our team, including some expert craftsmen who work in manufacturing, with women in the 'soft' divisions and men in the 'hard' ones. In Portugal, were we have direct competitors, there are shoemaking schools for youths. In our district, and in Italy in general, qualified training is lacking, and we think they could just modify the syllabus of a former vocational school to solve the problem. I would like to highlight this point because we would never accept to buy products maybe made in China, brand them Buttero and then resell them. We do everything at home. As for satisfactions, one of our best achievements, lately, has been our e-commerce channel. Every day, the marketplace Buttero.it brings us in touch with consumers worldwide, with people interested in a product that is imbued with our soul.
Commitment and passion in the shape of a boot (the Italian peninsula in the colors of the national flag is its symbol par-excellence) leave a footprint all over the globe.
Massimiliano Sani inside the company's showroom.
From left to right, Claudio, Mauro and Massimiliano Sani.
Some sketches of the Buttero collection.
Men's Buttero shoes during the productive process.
