In the placid and enchanting region of Marche we can discover the pretty not to big town of Sant’Elpidio a Mare. From this little known corner of Italy comes the tale of the making of Hogan Shoes, Scarpe Hogan, as they are called in Italy.
Filippo Della Valle started up its small shoe factory in 1920’s, relying only on its competency. Quality was the force of Filippo’s factory. The businessman view was provided by its nephew Diego Della Valle, at the end of the ’70s, bringing a holding mind to that small workshop so a substantial walk toward world wide success could be made.
Even nowaday, the caliber of these shoes is number one in the values list of Tod’s group, as it’s nowadays known that once little factory. Hogan shoes, one of their most successful products, just like any other item from this company, are made by hand, using fashions that not anyone can copy, aftermath of more that one hundred years in shoemaking.
The one that choose a Hogan shoe is searching craftsmanship and luxury, comfort and top-class material quality, innovation and tradition.
The two most cheered models of Hogan shoes are without doubt the Traditional model, fabricated after the England’s cricket shoes that were fashionable, and the Interactive. One of the most acclaimed kind of Traditional Hogan Shoes is the one known with the name of Olympia, born in 2004 to celebrate the Olympics which took place in Athens. Since that date there have been a lot of models, all granted by classical elegance and comfort, Hogan trademarks recognized by fashion victims all over the world. The Scarpe Hogan Olympia Gold of 2006, has become a real cult. This shoe is made of gilded leather and suede.
This year, to celebrate the 2008 Olympics Hogan has produced an Olympia limited edition. Only 888 copies has been made, the male model in suede and sand, with topstitching of three colors reminding the Italian Flag (white, red and green) and for women with white leather sleeves and gold.
The second cult model from Hogan is the Interactive, much praised by women, for their comfort that never let back elegance which can be appraised even in the smallest details of the shoe.
There are many reasons that guide people to search for this peculiar kind of Hogan. First place is without doubt the absolute quality of the shoes, whether they are of the canvas model, suede, or other materials, the quality and attention to detail are even manic. The extreme comfort plays its part in the choice: even more than in other models, the comfort for the foot is very high. There is also the preference for the robustness of the shoe: even if the initial expense can not doubtless be considered low (but not too high given the high prices of other brands, brands of similar quality, if not lower) the Hogan Interactive lasts much more than a normal shoe and many people affirm to use an Interactive for more than ten years and to find them still integral and very comfortable. Final reason for prefering a pair of Hogan Interactive shoes is that wearing them you will be able to gain those 4-5 cm tall slender figure because of their high rubber soles.
The Hogan Interactive will wear well in situations of relaxation and leisure, with a pair of jeans, for instance, but there’s also someone who wears them, as their “inventor”, even under a dress. Truly a shoe for every situation!
Although many people endure on calling the various models of Interactive as “for summer” or “for winter” this dissimilarity is not made by the makers, so there are models with pale sole and others with the black or dark sole, and clearly a dark sole stand better for the problems that may arise due to rain or other typical winter phenomena, but the difference is, in some ways, all here.
Hogan Interactive, with the years, have refined their range of many different models so we can choose between suede or glossy, canvas, or with inserts. Some of them, directed at women, have also rhinestones decoration. The colors range from classic brown, in many variations, up to younger and bolder colors like turquoise, red and orange.
Many people are in some ways startled by the firmness of Hogan Interactive shoes. Someone, after very much years of use, has washed them and found that the shoes have resisted well to washing, and that they have come back almost like new. Others who have used them in different situations like to go to the beach and have found these shoes to be very strong.
We have heard of people that, always used to get the slippers once back at home, forgot their pair of Scarpe Hogan Interactive at their feet even sitting on the sofa in front of the TV!
Mid of the colors used in the Interactive line we have the classic khaki color, a standard of Anglo-Saxon elegance, the Ocher, a very refined and “ethnic” dye, or white, which is always a classic Hogan. The top quality skin used to wear a pair of Hogan shoes has a feeling and a very intriguing “hand”, almost sensuous. The amenity and elegancy are eased by a very essential line, and a very comfortable fitting that make a unique product of high class but also of high comfort.
Refinement and amenity. A great combination for a pair of Hogan Shoes