Dear Paul, @kemitchell
Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful message. I truly appreciate the warm welcome. Thank you as well for adding Robert, our atelier, and me to the shoemaking.wiki. It was a wonderful surprise, and I feel honored to be included.
Your forum is a beautiful example of how people from different countries and backgrounds can come together because of a shared passion for shoemaking. I really admire what you have built, and I look forward to being part of the conversations and learning from everyone.
In fact, I started exactly as many of your members did—with a passion. I graduated from the School of Architecture and had accepted a job in Dubai. But when I returned to Rome and began learning traditional shoemaking, I completely fell in love with the craft. From that moment, I knew I couldn’t leave it behind.
Learning shoemaking in Italy at that time was not an easy path. There were very few masters willing to teach, and much of the knowledge was passed on very privately. I still remember how excited I was when, after years of searching, I finally found a master who agreed to teach me. I used to travel to a small village to learn from him in his tiny workshop, which had once been a parking space. I remember standing there, wondering how such beautiful shoes could be created in such a humble place.
One of the greatest lessons I ever received came from that first master, who was around 85 years old. On my very first day, he told me, “Every day, I am still learning.” Those words have stayed with me ever since. They remind me that no matter how much experience we gain, a true craftsman never stops being a student.
My journey also taught me that every country has its own language of shoemaking. I remember asking my first master the names of the different hand tools we used, and he would simply smile and say, “the machine.” So for years, that was what I called them too. It wasn’t until I later worked with another master in the UK that I realized each tool had its own name and purpose. I loved discovering that every country has its own vocabulary, traditions, and way of passing knowledge from one generation to the next.
This is one of the reasons I love meeting shoemakers from different countries. Every workshop has its own culture, its own methods, and its own way of solving problems. Even today, I still enjoy discovering new techniques, new ideas, and new ways of thinking about our craft.
I also truly appreciate forums like yours and all the online spaces where people generously share their knowledge and experiences. They have connected shoemakers around the world in a way that simply wasn’t possible in the past.
At the same time, I believe there is a special kind of magic that can only be experienced inside an atelier, working side by side with a master shoemaker. Watching how someone naturally holds a tool, chooses a material, approaches a difficult step, or solves a problem without saying a word—these are things that are very difficult to capture in books or videos.
Shoemaking requires patience, time, dedication, and countless hours of practice. But learning directly from another artisan is also about absorbing a way of thinking, a philosophy, and a love for the craft. Every atelier has its own rhythm, its own traditions, and its own atmosphere, and I believe those experiences become part of us as makers.
For me, both worlds are essential. Online communities like yours allow us to connect, exchange ideas, preserve knowledge, and inspire one another across continents. The atelier allows us to experience the craft with our own hands, our own eyes, and all our senses. Together, they help keep this beautiful tradition alive.
Thank you again for your kindness and for creating such a welcoming community. I am very happy to be here, and I hope I can contribute while continuing to learn from everyone else.
With my warmest regards,
Goli
