Quality, tradition and innovation are choices that have rewarded the company and make it one of the best children’s shoe factories in the world.
Our Made in Italy
All LEPI footwear is born from the skilled craftsmanship of expert craftsmen and satisfies the needs of fashion brands that are looking for the right alchemy between fashion and foot well-being through anatomical solutions and the transpiration of children’s and young people’s feet. In short words: Made in Italy.
After a careful study with our stylists to research new models, the first phase is the cutting of the leather. Cut that is carried out by hand by specialized personnel after selecting the right high quality leathers.
Our production on large series
We select and collect the pieces for the upper after the cutting phase.
We prepare the cut shoe pieces for the subsequent hemming phase (jointing).
Subsequently we will go to skimming the upper, that is, a highly precise phase, in which we will prepare all the pieces of leather together to compose the upper. The production experience of the LEPI shoe factory makes it possible to optimize this process in order to avoid wasting time and costs in the remaining production cycle.
The phase of skiving and preparation of the upper
Scarnitura is the process characterized by the thinning of the leather or other materials used for the upper of the shoe in order to have all the materials and leathers with the same thickness and regularity. Hemming and skiving are carried out by qualified personnel following all the indications received from the design of the shoe.
The hemming of the upper
In the hemming phase (jointing) we will join all the pieces that make up the shoe, which will be sewn to create the upper.
The hemming takes place in our seams department, and is one of the most important stages in the development of the shoe. Our technicians carry out this phase with precision both as regards the sample or prototype to check that there are no errors in the design, and in the production of sneakers for children.
Strobel’s montage
In the assembly phase of children’s shoes with Strobel processing, the same are informed, i.e. the last is inserted inside the upper to which the insole is previously sewn, using the pre-assembly machine.
The next operation consists in pulling and making the upper adhere completely to the last.
Assembly with pre-assembly
This step involves inserting the toe cap and buttress inside the upper. The toe cap is applied to the front part of the upper to give shape and reinforcement to the shoe, while the buttress is applied to the rear part of the upper. whose function is to support and stabilize the ankle.
The upper is ready to be fitted to the last.
Drawing and gluing operation of the upper under the front part of the last.
The phases of pulling and gluing the shoe to close it at the sides and in the heel.
The grinding stage
The buffing phase under the last allows you to eliminate all the excess parts of the upper, making sure that a homogeneous layer is created, to glue the sole.
After making the mark to indicate the part of the shoe that is covered by the sole (bottom), the shoe is cleaned of the excess leather/material in order to attach the sole perfectly to the shoe
The adhesive (mastic) is then spread under and around it before applying and pressing the soles.
With the heat of a special lamp, the sign made with special heat-erasable ink pens is canceled and then the sole is positioned very precisely so as to cover the previous phases, to then be attached with a hot pressing action which activates the glues inserted previously on the shoe and on the sole with a special machine.
The finishing of the shoe
After having attached the sole, the shoes begin to be cleaned and completed with the other components and/or accessories after having removed the last, with special products and heat the glue residues and marks left during the previous phases are eliminated.
