Shoes designed for people who are always moving
In Florence this week, Barbara Borghini brings Ilio Smeraldo to Pitti Uomo not as a brand chasing new territory, but as one finally naming what its customers had already decided. Men had long been quietly purchasing the larger sizes of a women's collection built on Venetian furlane slippers and Tuscan hands — and in that quiet demand, a new line was already being written. The spring 2027 men's collection arrives as a natural extension of a philosophy that never drew hard lines between genders to begin with, grounded in the belief that good craft, honestly priced and thoughtfully made, needs no further justification.
- Men were already buying Ilio Smeraldo in women's sizing — the market had spoken before the brand had a formal answer.
- Rather than engineer a masculine identity from scratch, Borghini simply extended the same unisex logic into loafers, slip-ons, and soft ballet flats with names like Saint Germain and Newport.
- Every pair is still made in Tuscany by local artisans on recycled tire soles, holding the line at €150–250 in a luxury market that routinely inflates the price of heritage.
- The brand's deeper tension is existential: Italian artisanal knowledge is disappearing, and Borghini sees protecting that supply chain as a core responsibility, not a marketing footnote.
- With selective retail in Milan and Paris and a cautious openness to collaboration, Ilio Smeraldo is growing — but slowly, deliberately, on its own terms.
Barbara Borghini's Ilio Smeraldo is stepping into men's footwear at Pitti Uomo in Florence this week, unveiling a spring 2027 collection that feels less like a strategic expansion than a long-overdue acknowledgment. Men had already been buying the brand's larger women's sizes in growing numbers — a pattern Borghini observed closely enough to warrant a dedicated line rather than a workaround.
The new collection carries the same relaxed sensibility that built the brand's reputation: loafers, slip-ons, and soft ballet flats drawing visual cues from 1970s aesthetics, rendered in leather, suede, satin, and woven raffia. Styles named Saint Germain and Newport arrive in a palette that moves from clean neutrals into earthier tones — cocoa, oregano, burgundy, marigold. The design process remained instinctive, rooted in the same refusal to overcomplicate the line between masculine and feminine form.
Everything is still made in Tuscany by local artisans, still fitted with the recycled tire soles that originated as a practical tool for Venetian gondoliers, and still priced between €150 and €250 — quality without luxury theater. Borghini describes her customer not by demographics but by disposition: someone who travels light, values ease, and expects a shoe to fold into luggage without losing its shape or its dignity.
For Borghini, the artisanal dimension is not incidental — it is the brand's central argument. Italian craft knowledge is disappearing, she notes, and building a supply chain that preserves it is among the brand's most important responsibilities. The men's launch, then, is not just a commercial move. It is another iteration of the same quiet conviction: that shoes made by people who know how to make them, for people who simply want to wear them, are enough.
Barbara Borghini's Ilio Smeraldo is making its entrance into men's footwear this week at Pitti Uomo in Florence, a move that feels less like a strategic pivot and more like answering a question the market has been asking for some time. The Italian brand, known for its playful reimagining of the Venetian furlane slipper, is unveiling a spring 2027 men's collection that extends the same relaxed, unisex sensibility that built its reputation—now in loafers, slip-ons, and soft ballet flats that draw visual cues from 1970s rebellion.
The expansion arrived not through market research but through observation. Men were already buying the larger sizes from Ilio Smeraldo's women's collections, a pattern Borghini noticed growing steadily enough to warrant a dedicated line. Rather than reinvent the design process, she kept it intact. The creative approach remains instinctive and rooted in the same principles that have defined the brand since its start: comfort, functionality, and a refusal to overthink the distinction between masculine and feminine form. The new styles carry names like Saint Germain for the refined loafers and Newport for the slip-ons, each rendered in supple leather, velvety suede, satin, and woven raffia. The color story ranges from expected neutrals—black, ivory, navy, taupe—to earthier surprises: cocoa, caramel, oregano, burgundy, and a bold marigold that catches light without demanding attention.
All of it is made in Tuscany by local artisans, a commitment Borghini emphasizes as central to the brand's identity and mission. The shoes retain the distinctive recycled tire soles that originated as a practical solution for gondoliers, allowing grip without marring the boats they worked from. They maintain the brand's price positioning, hovering between 150 and 250 euros, a range that reflects quality without luxury theater. The brand itself began as a direct-to-consumer venture and has since expanded into selective retail partnerships—Chapters in Milan, Samaritaine and Le Bon Marché in Paris—but the ethos of accessibility remains.
Borghini describes the customer not by age or gender but by lifestyle: someone who travels frequently, values lightness and practicality, and appreciates that a shoe can be folded and packed into luggage without losing its shape or dignity. These are shoes for people in motion, designed for ease without apology. The brand underwent a creative refresh beginning in April 2025, with renewed emphasis on the artisanal knowledge embedded in every pair. This is not incidental detail for Borghini—it is the core argument for the brand's existence. Italian craftsmanship, she notes, is disappearing, passed down through generations but increasingly rare. Building and protecting that supply chain is, in her view, one of the brand's most important responsibilities.
The women's collections have already demonstrated how far the furlane concept can stretch: feminine sandals with bows, Western-inflected fringed suede versions, urban takes with croc-embossed effects, penny loafer shapes. Each iteration keeps the distinctive sole and the underlying philosophy of ease. Ilio Smeraldo shares production and distribution infrastructure with Borghini's other brand, Giaborghini, though the two remain creatively separate. The newest collaboration, developed with the Caraluna concept store, suggests the brand is open to partnerships, though Borghini is cautious about letting collaborations overshadow the product itself. For now, with the men's line launching, she wants the focus to remain entirely on what the collection itself says—no distractions, no noise. Just shoes made by people who know how to make them, designed for people who simply want to wear them.
Notable Quotes
Over time, we noticed that more and more male clients were already purchasing the larger sizes from our women's collections. That made us realize there was a genuine demand for Ilio Smeraldo for a male audience as well.— Barbara Borghini, founder of Ilio Smeraldo
The artisanal know-how is the real value behind the brand. We are deeply committed to supporting and protecting Italian craftsmanship and the incredible expertise that has been passed down from generation to generation.— Barbara Borghini
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did it take until now for a brand built on unisex principles to formally acknowledge its male customers?
The demand was already there—men were buying the larger sizes from the women's collections. But there's a difference between noticing a pattern and acting on it. Borghini waited until the signal was clear and consistent enough to justify a dedicated line.
Does launching a men's collection at Pitti Uomo, rather than another venue, carry particular weight?
Pitti is where the industry gathers to see what's next in men's footwear. It's the right stage for announcing that a brand known for unisex thinking is now explicitly addressing male customers—not as an afterthought, but as a natural extension.
The price point stays between 150 and 250 euros. That's not luxury pricing. Is that intentional?
Entirely. The brand started as direct-to-consumer and has always resisted the markup game. The value proposition is craftsmanship and wearability, not exclusivity. A shoe that costs 200 euros and gets packed into a suitcase repeatedly is doing its job better than an expensive one that sits unworn.
What does it mean that every pair is made in Tuscany by local artisans?
It means the brand is betting its identity on something that's becoming rarer—the idea that where and how something is made matters more than the label. Borghini sees this as a mission, not just a marketing angle. Italian craftsmanship is disappearing, and she's trying to keep it alive.
The recycled tire soles—that's a detail with history.
Yes. They originated as a practical solution for gondoliers who needed grip without damaging their boats. Now they're the signature element of every Ilio Smeraldo shoe. It's the kind of detail that reveals how the brand thinks: functional first, then everything else follows.
Will collaborations be part of the men's strategy?
Borghini is open to them, but not immediately. She wants the product to speak first. Collaborations can muddy that message, so for now, the focus is entirely on the collection itself.