Shoe Factory

Producing handcrafted footwear since 1964

Ambra Cavallini shoe factory

The shoe factory

The Ambra Cavallini shoe factory was founded in 1964 in Tuscany, more precisely in Santa Maria a Monte, in the Pisa area.

With over 60 years of history, it produces and makes footwear of all types, specializing over time in the production of women’s shoes .

Thanks to the skill and mastery of its craftsmen , the Ambra Cavallini shoe factory is able to support apparel and footwear brands and designers in the production of their models.

From the initial idea, through the creation of the pattern to the manufacture of the finished shoe in all sizes, we are there to transform designs into reality.

Thanks to the company’s state-of-the-art production processes and machinery, all types of women’s footwear and heel heights, from 0 to 140mm.

The materials used and processed by the factory for shoe production are mainly of natural origin, in particular leather from the finest Italian tanneries. .

The quality of the Ambra Cavallini shoe factory has led it to collaborate with some of the most important international fashion brands, making shoes for them that are paraded on the top catwalks around the world every season.

Who we cater to

For three generations now, the Ambra Cavallini shoe factory has been serving national and international fashion and luxury brands and brands that need to find a reliable partner for the production of women’s shoes and accessories.

For over 60 years in fact, the Tuscan shoe factory has been producing women’s shoes of all types and materials, strictly handmade, perfect and with painstaking attention to detail, combining modern know-how and traditional methods that have been handed down over time.

If your brand or company is looking for that unrivalled quality that only an artisanal product can offer, Ambra Cavallini shoe factory is the ideal partner for a collaborative and long-lasting relationship, offering a reputation for excellence in the sector of handcrafted footwear.

Every day, the highly qualified staff of the Ambra Cavallini shoe factory are in close contact with designers, production managers and quality control officers, and will be on hand to listen to your needs to make every project a reality.

Some of our Customers

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Production

The Ambra Cavallini shoe factory boasts a plant in the province of Pisa of more than 1,000 sq. m, state-of-the-art machinery and a family of 30 artisans who every day bring to life more than 350 pairs of handmade shoes finished to the finest detail.

Production is divided into four main phases that we will now explore in greater detail, namely modelling, cutting and joining, assembly, and finally finishing and packaging.

With the company’s production processes, with heel heights of 0 to 140 cm, all types of footwear can be produced, such as Court shoes, moccasins, derbies, French brogues, ankle boots, zip boots and tube boots, sandals, Chanel sandals, open sandals, closed sandals, and Birkenstock sandals.

1. Pattern-making

Listening, empathy and precision. hese are the 3 most important characteristics that our modellers use when starting a new project.

From listening to the idea, we then move on to the design and CAD drawing to create computer drafts that are then brought to life by a plastic last.

Once the last has been defined and digitised, we move on to the creation of the paper pattern and the development of the sizing plan for all the shoe components, in all sizes from 35 to 41.

During this phase, the materials to be used and their final yield are also taken into account so that nothing is left to chance during production.

The cutting plotter

The cutting plotter is used to cut the shoe pattern cards and thus create the paper pattern.

It is connected to the CAD CAM, a computer that digitalises the cutting pattern and allows the plotter to handle the lasts with millimetre precision.

2. Cutting and joining

Using a computerised numerical machine, which is used to cut out the pieces of leather, once the pieces required to create the shoe have been cut, this machine lowers the initial thickness of the leather to the required thickness.

This is followed by hemming machines, which are fundamental in the process of cutting and joining a shoe. Column hemming machines are more suitable for hemming boots, flat hemming machines are more suitable for hemming uppers and flat footwear.

The fleshing machine

The fleshing machine is used to strip the leather from the edges of the linings as they are spliced, preparing them for the next stage of production.

3. Preparation for assembly

Preparation for lasting is a delicate and fundamental phase in the production process of a shoe as it will define the precision and perfection of the final result.

The Splitting machine is used to equalise the thickness of all the leather pieces of the footwear to ensure that they are assembled with the utmost precision. Once the desired thickness is set, the leather passes through the machine and is pressed to reach the set thickness.

4. Assembly

The assembly of footwear is one of the most mechanical phases of production and is enriched by numerous procedures, processes and machinery.

Here are a few:

The sole is nailed to the last with the help of a compressed air machine. It is very important to set the sole firmly on the last using nails before moving on to the fitting stage.

Back-moulding machine

he back-moulding machine works with hydraulic pressure. It has shell-forms in the shape of the shoe and is used for moulding the rear part of the upper. The upper is placed on the mould, which is pushed down under pressure to allow the component to take its shape.

Double pull-over machines

Double pull-over machines are hydraulic, mechanical and computerised machines. The grippers that make up the machine are digitally adjusted in order to completely close the front part of the footwear.

Heel-seat lasting machine

The heel-seat lasting machine is a compressed-air hydraulic machine used to close the back part of the shoe.

Each station has small heaters that soften the leather and counterforts in the uppers to make them softer, thus making it easier to close the back of the shoe.

Ovens

During the lasting phase, the shoes are placed in ovens to make the leather adhere perfectly to the shape of the shoe for a precise and perfect final fit. As the shoes pass through them, the ovens first emit a jet of cold air and a jet of hot air at the outlet.

5. Preparation for soling

The preparation for soling is an important step which, if done correctly, guarantees that the shoe fits properly and is very comfortable when walking.

Here are the main steps:

The pieces of leather that will make up the shoe are marked with the aid of a stamping machine, making assembly work neat and reducing the risk of error to a minimum.

Scraping machine and heel-seat pounding machine

This preparation phase involves the scraping machine, which is used to eliminate any remaining bits of leather before gluing the sole, and the heel-seat pounding machine, which takes the impression of the rear part of the shoe so that the heel can later be applied perfectly.

Gluing

The gluing system serves to apply the first counterfort to the footwear. It is water-based, meaning that it is solvent-free.

Pounding machine

The pounding machine is used to eliminate excess leather once the shoe has been closed. The footbed is flattened and scraped to allow the sole to be perfectly positioned for maximum comfort when walking.

Glue reactivation ovens

These ovens reactivate the glue on the upper and the sole, after which the upper is pressed firmly to the sole by means of a press to make them bond perfectly, thus preventing the shoe from sagging.

6. Finishing

The finishing phase focuses on the details of the shoe and the last reinforcement processes before the shoes are boxed.

Brushing is definitely a fundamental step, as this process is used to clean and brush the entire shoe to close the pores of the leather, making it more waterproof.

Insole application

This phase is carried out by a machine that applies natural glue to the insole, after which the protective film is removed and the insole is attached to the shoe by hand.

Prefixing

Prefixing is a stage where the first nail is applied to the heel to lock it in place. Prefixing is a phase in which the first nail is applied to the heel to lock it in place. Then either 5 or 7 nails of various sizes are applied to permanently lock the heel in place, preventing it from coming loose over time.

Boot leg stretchers

Boot leg stretchers are very high-temperature air hydraulic machines that are used to give the boot leg the shape of the calf. Warming the lining at a high temperature facilitates this shaping process, which is essential to achieve a well-fitting boot.

Materials

he Ambra Cavallini shoe factory uses a wide variety of materials for the production of its footwear, although the most widely used are natural materials, especially leather.

The hides used can be divided into 2 main families: bovine and sheep/goat skins.

The bovine category includes leathers such as suede and calfskin, natural, printed or varnished.

The sheep/goat skins, on the other hand, include suede, nappa and kid.

All the leathers used come from the best Italian tanneries.

They are of the highest quality and comply with REA CE regulations, which means that they do not contain any chromium and/or harmful substances of any kind.

Furthermore, appropriate reinforcements are used for each material to ensure the necessary strength and quality to last. In the case of calfskin, for example, a special canvas is also inserted to reinforce the upper once it has been cut.

Quality also comes first when it comes to accessories, with nickel-free, tested and anti-allergy metal accessories, as well as jewel accessories in genuine Swarovski.

Our Craftsmen

The real strength of the Ambra Cavallini shoe factory is undoubtedly its ‘family’ of almost 30 craftsmen.

Each with his or her own specialisation, in their daily work each craftsman embodies the company values of quality, passion and the constant search for perfection.

This mix allows us to maintain a standard of quality that is among the highest in the sector, guaranteeing our customers and partners a handmade product, meticulously finished in every detail and created to last.