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From Italy, With Love... How a creative collaboration between an innovative cobbler, an FEI dressage trainer, and a Swiss businessman led to international success for equestrian bootmaker Stivali Romitelli. OMITELLI written by Michelle Ferrell
boots Q&Awith Kurt Huber Tell us a little bit about yourself and Romitelli Boots. My name is Kurt Huber, me and my wife Franziska Seidl are the official importer and distributor of Stivali Romitelli equestrian boots in the United States. I am not a bootmaker or a salesperson; I got involved because my wife Franziska is a professional dressage trainer who first became sponsored by Stivali Romitelli in 2005. We met Enrico Romitelli while she was competing at the biggest show in Austria, a 5* CDI. Enrico and I hit it off immediately because I spoke Italian. I had lived in Italy for business for 15 years, so I was fluent in not just the language but also the mentality, the hand gestures, and the jokes. This helped a lot to create trust and the perfect business relationship. Franziska sold the boots to her clients and at the horse shows for many years. My wife turned over the entire thing to me when I retired and had the time to manage it. It took off, and we opened the Ocala store and continued the mobile locations. I do that today, handling everything from the store to the website, traveling to Wellington in the winter with the vendor booth, and then North to shows through the summer and fall. Who designs and makes the boots? Enrico Romitelli is a skilled cobbler and an innovator. Our collaborative relationship with him started with dressage boots. The traditional stovepipe black dressage boots were stiff, uncomfortable, and unattractive. We worked with Enrico to make the boots comfortable for riding. We changed the footbed and the soles to be more athletic and added the removable inserts. We made the boots softer and more comfortable to move your foot, feel the horse, and have a better ride. Enrico had already created about 50 different styles of boots, new patterns with decorations, and colored leathers. Franziska began designing her custom, colorful show boots, and everyone wanted a pair. We encouraged our customers to develop their designs, and now, years later, custom boots have taken over the show ring. We have been to the factory many times, much more when we lived in Europe; we went there every few months. Money was invested in machinery and given ideas for expanding the factory; they went from one floor to adding a second and third floor. feature
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Enrico initially worked alone with 1-2 helpers. Now he has ten workers, including his son Marco. He is semi-retired now, and Marco has taken over. Marco takes the booth to the biggest shows in Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, and Austria. Our boots are made by hand in one location. The capacity of Romitelli is only 30 boots a day in total production. That means only 1,000 boots a month. If you could go there, you would see 27 different stages one pair of boots go through to get made. Enrico still does about 15 steps himself and oversees the rest. He still cuts the leather himself by hand; there is no laser. There are eight pieces to put the boots together, some even more. It’s exciting and challenging work, with a couple of people sewing all day. Enrico’s wife packs each pair of boots herself. What was it like bringing Romitelli to the USA? That was not planned. I came to the USA for a second time in 2011 for another business partnership as part of my original career in diving. I made a deal to stay for 5-9 years, so we had to bring my wife’s horses because they are her life and business. We settled in Ocala, which was unrecognizable from what it is today. We created our farm, and she discovered the shows in our surrounding area. She was a stranger from Europe in these beautiful boots, and everyone asked about them and wanted them. The circuit grew crazy, and the boots took off. Enrico wanted to be a part of the US market, and we agreed to be the bridge. We built it slowly for the first two years, and I began pushing for more inventory. He and Marco came over in 2012, and we all went to Wellington for the winter circuit. We opened booths on both the jumper and dressage sides, and the boots were well-received because people hadn’t seen that kind of quality before. Enrico traveled to California independently and was a vendor at the Longines Masters, where he met Christie Halvorsen. He called me and said, “We have to open up this market, and I have just the representative.” Eventually, we met with Christie, and now we all work together. During the pandemic, the factory struggled. Marco couldn’t go to shows, Enrico couldn’t get materials, and he couldn’t produce the boots. So, we put our money in and made a formal commitment; we struck a deal to be a commercial partner in the company. We were able to invest in high-quality Italian leather to keep making boots. The company survived, and now everything is getting back to normal. | S23104 feature
feature What separates Romitelli Boots from other equestrian boot brands? Professional riders appreciate how easy it is to break in the boots and how comfortable they are. They also like our soles; they are safe, have a grip, are comfortable, and are durable. Boot brands spring up like mushrooms, with many of the same-looking boots coming from Spain, Portugal, and South America. They are copies of the custom designs Enrico originated. Other boots are made with leather from around the world, but our boots only use Italian leather. Italy is famous for its leather. Some Italian brands now outsource to other countries for production because it’s cheaper, resulting in a lesser product. We keep the entire process from start to finish in Italy, making it a high-quality product. We do everything possible to make nice boots for a reasonable price. What is new or next for Romitelli Boots? Marco is the next generation following in his father’s footsteps. He is highly talented and has taken over the company. He’s designing, cutting, and making the templates and the molds. He is constantly trying to invent new designs, new concepts. Together, he and I took another look at the original dressage boot. How can we elevate and upgrade the classic style for the next generation? Taking the old stiff boots and making them more modern and comfortable. We have developed prototypes using brushed leather and patent leather in this new style. A traditional inside zipper with elastic, which other companies don’t have, is appropriately placed. Making it invisible creates a comfortable modern dressage competition boot while still paying homage to tradition. We make boots for almost everyone: dressage riders, show jumpers, polo players, hunter and equitation riders, three-day eventers, horse racing jockeys and we even have a children’s line. We enjoy working with people individually, at the shows, in the store, and through referrals. Even with our website, we talk to people directly to ensure they correctly measure themselves. As a company, we remain focused on producing and delivering high-end products in small quantities and providing excellent customer service. Our best advertising is word of mouth from happy and repeat clients. We want to be precisely what we are and where we are. | S23105 Images Show Display Christie Halvorsen Rep Marco and Kurt Huber Ocala Shop Online: romitelliboots.com In Store: 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala, FL 34482 [email protected] Franziska Seidel
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