Bruno Magli shoes are a brand of shoes known for high-quality and being handcrafted luxury shoes. The brand was first distributed in Bologna, Italy before the main company offered franchises to countries in different continents in the 1980s.

The different stages of handcrafting are what set the Bruno Magli shoes apart from the other luxury shoe brands all over the world. Even with the introduction of new technology in making shoes, Bruno Magli Shoes retained the hand sewing methods in making shoes that it was noted that up to thirty people touch each shoe during the different stages of manufacture.

The history of Bruno Magli shoes

In 1936, the company was started by siblings Bruno, Maria and Marino, who learned the craft of creating women’s shoes from their grandfather. During this time, they were still working in their basement in Bologna, Italy. Bruno Magli was in charge of designing the shoes, Maria was responsible for sewing the upper and Marino did the soles.

It was only in 1947, that the first Bruno Magli Shoe Factory was built. This also marks the beginning of the creation of Bruno Magli shoe designs for men.

As the company grew, in 1967, Bruno Magli opened the first retail store to handle large amounts of sales of the brand. Bruno Magli continued to expand and in 1969, the new factory, which exists up to this time, was opened.

In the 1980s, Bruno Magli expanded its market by offering franchises to other countries including the United States, China, Japan, Australia and in other locations in the America, Asia and Europe.

In the 1990’s, the company further grew by including the accessories and apparel that are made from leather and denim. It was also this time that the company added to their classic line new designs that include polka dot and zebra print footwear. It was Rolf Grueterich who was known as the prime mover in these changes in Bruno Magli Shoes. For 14 years, he handled the Bruno Magli men’s shoe line in the United States and is now handling the women’s line.

Bruno Magli starts to shift its image from classic shoes to modern shoes in the early 2000s. In 2001, a large portion of the company became under the control of Opera, an investment fund from Luxembourg, which was partly owned by Bulgari.

Bruno Magli shoes in the media

Bruno Magli Shoes became even more popular when it was cited as one of the evidences during the OJ Simpson trial in 1996.