Franco Liberto, aka Ciccio: Shoe Artist

The art of the shoemaker, learned from an early age, and the passion for motoring, marked the fortune of Francesco Liberto, known as Ciccio. His name is linked to the footwear company he founded in the 60s, today known all over the world for its handmade, tailor-made leather running shoes, which have worn the feet of the most famous racing drivers such as Mario. Andretti, Niki Lauda, ​​Nino Vaccarella, Gerald Larousse. Passionate about car racing, he met Ignazio Giunti (1941-1971. Formula 1 driver) in 1965, thus he had the opportunity to meet the driver and illustrate his skills. Ignazio Giunta commissioned the first pair of shoes for motor racing. The shoes had to be soft, comfortable, with a thin sole to allow perfect sensitivity to the rider during the race. Ciccio put his skills as a shoe craftsman at the service of this purpose and from then on his production became unmistakably linked to the competitive motoring sector, first serving the Targa Florio drivers, then those of Ferrari. Even today, it is enough to send your footprint and Ciccio gets to work to create made-to-measure shoes. Requests come from all over the world. Thanks to the ten-year collaboration with Franco and Alessandro Cheli, artists and teacher (Franco) at the Brera Academy, the models that can be commissioned today can also be decorated by hand on request.

In the course of his activity he has also created women's shoes by collaborating with well-known fashion houses such as Emilio Pucci and Sorelle Fontana. The creations with which, however, he began his business distinguishing himself from the Sicilian artisan landscape, are the so-called Muccatuuri, fabric boots inspired by the handkerchiefs that Sicilian carters wore.