A focus on Casarano, the town in the province of Lecce that is historically the reference place for footwear production in Salento, and has its roots in the birth of Filanto. The town is however being impacted, like the entire Apulian and national territory, by the effects of a post-Covid slow-moving crisis. A crisis that in the past few months has forced a number of shoe factories to close or make massive use of the redundancy fund. That is why, squeezed by crisis and recovery of luxury, the situation remains in the balance.
Squeezed by crisis and recovery
The goal of the 42 shoe factories active in the Casarano industrial area in the Tac (Textile, clothing, footwear) sector is to weather the storm until Christmas, to try to restart with new conditions and orders. The Nuovo Quotidiano di Puglia recalls how, cross-referencing statistical data from the Lecce Chamber of Commerce and ISTAT from 2010 to June 30, 2025, “of the 90 companies active at the time, 59 remain today, employing 2,403 people, compared to 6,743 in 2010”.
“It means that”, recalls the Nuovo Quotidiano’s investigation, “in the last 15 years, Casarano’s fashion system has lost 34.44% of its companies and 64.37% of its workers. Clothing has almost disappeared: as of today it has 8 factories with 19 workers, compared to 14 and 1256 workers in 2010. Textile, on the other hand, is stable: from 7 firms and 173 employees in 2010 to the current 9 (2 less than 5 years ago), employing 106 workers”.
Footwear numbers
For the footwear sector, the analysis is more complex. Between 2010 and 2015, the reflection of Filanto’s closure and the international financial crisis bring the number of shoe factories from 69 to 47 and employees from 6,584 to 1,743. Luxury contracting settles a new trend: shoe factories decrease again, to the current 42, but workers increase. In 2020, they become 1923 and in 2025, 2,278, or 94.79% of the current workforce of the Casarano fashion system (2,403 employees). The bulk of those employed actually work at Leo Shoes, Gianel Shoes, GG Italian Fashion Team.
Origins
The first shoe factory to open in Casarano, more than 100 years ago, was Elata, now administered by Salvatore Nicolazzo and dedicated to the production of footwear for the medium-high segment, specializing in bridal and dance footwear. “Those who operate in the low end are struggling the most”, Nicolazzo explained to the New Daily, “it’s the mix of customers that makes the difference.
Enduring and producing quality is possible in Salento, despite the fact that”, as Nicolazzo recalls, “back in the early 2000s we were already being given up for dead, with the loss of regional funding. For our sector, crises are cyclical: today the tools of public support are there. Those who are willing, use them, if you believe in them”. On the manpower issue, Nicolazzo admits there’s a shortage, linked to lower births and depopulation. Although, even today, many young people ask to work in the segment.
Continued uncertainty
Antonio Filograna Sergio can count on 1,800 employees in his factories that produce for luxury bigwigs starting with the LVMH group. “The fashion system has allowed this territory in the last 15 years to strongly increase employment, and we have managed to make ourselves known to luxury brands, which have appreciated the manufacturing skills of Salento workers”. One thing is certain, Salento’s industry cannot disappear, but new arrangements are needed to adapt to the needs of luxury in this continuing manufacturing and economic uncertainty on the international stage.
A look at AI
These experienced entrepreneurs are also looking at AI and innovation in a careful way, to turn the tide and go beyond luxury orders. Thanks to digital artisans born during the years of Filanto’s crisis, they look for points of collaborations with designers and influencers from around the world, with the goal of making footwear that holds together process sustainability and product innovation.
Photo from Elata
