The Italian footwear industry is a sector where craftsmanship, cutting-edge technology, and information technology combine to create a product with an unmistakable style that is unmatched anywhere in the world. San Mauro Pascoli is home to the most important footwear manufacturers that represent Italian style around the world, thanks to famous high fashion brands. This town's footwear tradition dates back to the end of the last century, when a few cobblers, mainly engaged in repairing, manufacturing, and selling new shoes, set up stalls at fairs. With their ideas, intuition, and, above all, their “courage to take risks,” these shoemakers quickly enabled San Mauro Pascoli to rise to prominence in the world of footwear. The area has a real supply chain dedicated to the footwear sector, which supports the continuous evolution of shoe design (especially for women) and carries out systematic actions in favor of the so-called “footwear district,” useful for spreading and enhancing the technical culture and innovative capacity of the area. There is extraordinary synergy between more than 50 associated companies in the footwear world, including leading names in Italian footwear such as Baldinini, Casadei, Pollini, Sergio Rossi, and Vicini, and among the latest arrivals, Gianvito Rossi, which has quickly established itself as a luxury product. Since 1984, the San Mauro Pascoli district has been home to CERCAL - Centro Ricerca e Scuola Internazionale Calzaturiera (International Footwear Research and Training Center), a training and service center highly specialized in the footwear and leather goods sector. Thanks to its strong ties with the local area and the valuable collaboration of professionals and technicians from local companies, the center offers its students the opportunity to learn the knowledge and skills of the district directly from those who work there every day. CERCAL is one of the leading national training centers in the footwear sector: in addition to being accredited by the Emilia-Romagna region, it is recognized by ANCI (National Association of Italian Footwear Manufacturers) as a Center of Excellence for footwear training. Those who want to experiment in the world of high-end footwear know that in San Mauro Pascoli they can find the professional skills and technologies to achieve the impossible. Innovation in the district does not stop there: it also involves greater sustainability and a focus on safety and the environment.
All the brands have their own OUTLETS in the area, which are open to the public.