Dominic Lacquaniti communicates daily with the five makers in his Marche, Italy, showroom to hand-mold, hammer, burnish, press, weave and emboss every element of his highly collectible shoes. Dominic launched the D.Lacquaniti shoe boutique next to his men’s atelier in 2023, driven by one mission: to create footwear that competes with the craftsmanship and beauty of a Christian Louboutin or Jimmy Choo but with the elusive benefit of comfort. “Women deserve to look good and feel good,” he says.
Even the slinkiest D.Lacquaniti heels are practical, thanks to strategic padding, buttery soft suede lining, paper-thin 100% leather insoles, and 6 millimeters of give in the width. “As women walk, dance, drink, live during the day, the foot expands—you need room,” Dominic says. The blissfully pinch-free Giovanna showcases Venetian silk and handmade crystals, arranged to recall a sea urchin.
Every design is inspired by a woman he admires. The Sofia is named for his goddaughter and embodies glamour icon Sophia Loren with its sultry shape and cheeky, knotted strap. Always one to exuberantly follow his whims, Dominic added the girotacco (the gold ring under the heel) as a final touch. “The shoe needed it,” he says.
Photography by Anna Nguyen
Dominic Lacquaniti Shoes
While no two D.Lacquaniti shoes are the same (everything—down to the box the shoes come in is made by hand), the Irene stands out for its originality, with salvaged pieces of 20-year-old leather lining the heel. “I hate waste,” Dominic says. “[When we found the leather], it was bits and pieces, but we had just enough to make it work.” The patterns recall Dominic’s mom, Irene: “I found a picture of my mom and me in Florence in 1997, and she’s wearing these casual Italian sandals. My mom is vibrant and always telling jokes, so I had to make something as vibrant as her.”
“I like to create families,” Dominic says. The Ida and Emma may not be cut from the same cloth, but they carry the same bejeweled buckle that can be removed and worn on your belt. “Because I’m a tailor, I don’t do cheap stuff,” he says. The Ida’s (above) chunky feel makes the pair extra-comfortable and suitable from day to night. The Emma (below) is shown in a fun Cocorita color.
All the leather comes from highly regulated, top Italian tanneries, and no more than 20 pairs are made of each design’s colorway. The Carla—inspired by a waitress Dominic met in Italy with wild, curly hair—features 6.5 feet of straight leather, with a rare metallic coating that requires meticulous application to deliver the lustrous sheen. The designer is all about materials. This fall, look out for his Sartorial collection, with old-school men’s textiles, like pin-stripe linen and glen plaid, adorning feminine kicks.