Basilio Testella | Shoemaker

Basilio makes probably the world's best shoes, at least the world's most carefully crafted shoes. Three months does it take Basilio to make a pair of leather-scented, completely handmade Italian shoes. A true artisan. Montegranaro is a small village in the Italian region of Marche. There, on a small inconspicuous side street you will find Basilio. When coming into his small workshop, it's like moving into the fairytale world. I immediately started thinking about Pinocchio's father Geppetto in the animated Disney film. He desires a son so much that he tries to put one of his wooden puppets to life. The same love put Basilio down at his shoes. I love shoes, he says, and pulls out his little miniature shoes that are made with the same care as the big although they only barely five centimeters in size. Note the damage to one of Basilios hands. When I asked how he got it, he replied –La bomba.