Calzaturificio Stephen was founded in 1967 by Cavalier Francesco Bertollo, who has had a great passion for footwear manufacturing since his earliest youth. Francesco was very determined since the beginning: while still attending school, he works in a small ladies shoes workshop, where he learns all the traditional techniques - among them the art of sewing the shoe soles by hand.
At the age of twenty he moves to Milan in order to attend the prestigious International Technical Institute of Shoemaker Arts called "Ars Sutoria". Once he get his degree, Francesco career is the rapidest: he starts as designer, then he become cutting and sewing manager and finally general production manager.
In 1985 he founds a workshop with just three workers, where he develops a limited production of high quality handmade ladies shoes. The quality of his products, together with the tuning with current trends, gives in a short time a great success to the small company that exports most of its production. For this reason, in 1979 the CCIAA (Italian Chamber of Commerce) gives to it a special prize as exemplary company in trading abroad. They are also recognized as "artistic activity".
The turning point is in the Eighties, when Michel Perry, one of the most influential designers in the history of luxury footwear, starts an exclusive cooperation with the company as regards manufacturing and distributing of his products.
From this moment on, Stephen Venezia has become a reference point for many famous international designers who finds in our company a perfect partner for developing and manufacturing luxury footwear.
In 2002 our company wins another prize by the Italian Chamber of Commerce for its great results in exporting Italian products and for its internationalization.
Inspired by Cavalier Bertollo passion and professional competence, his son Stefano, after gaining a huge experience working in the family company as technical and designer manager, decides to face a brand new challenge... creating his own shoes collection: Stephen Venezia.
With the help of 40 years of high level research, our challenge is to offer a unique, high quality and French-style product supported by a solid and reliable Italian company that is able to offer a quality service to its clients.
Stephen Venezia collection is developed and created by a professional team whose passion for shoes borders on fetishism...