Shoes made in Australia
When you Google Australian-made shoes, many brands come up—very few of which are actually made in Australia.
Today, very few shoes are made in Australia. Australian brands that were once synonymous with Australian craftsmanship are now produced in China or Vietnam. A few, such as RM Williams, are bucking the trend, and they still produce their shoes in Adelaide—but not many.
I wrote to Julie Angerosa via LinkedIn in January 2021, lamenting that their iconic factory, Anna Fiori, had closed and that it was a shame the industry had all but disappeared. It was a complete surprise when Julie said they were still manufacturing and could make shoes for me. Julie encouraged her brother Rick, undoubtedly one of the leading footwear experts this country has ever seen, to return to the business and reopen the factory to produce high-quality footwear made in Australia for Matilda Life.
Rick has always produced at the top end of the market, all leather shoes that look as good as a shoe made in Italy. Rick has made shoes for many of the top Australian brands such as Scanlon Theodore and RM Williams and has had the Anna Fiori brand in both Myer and David Jones.
It was a dream come true when Rick gave me my first sample—the Mia Mule, a gorgeous, timeless slipper made of soft kangaroo skin for both the upper lining and a leather sole. I have test-worn the shoes and have received more compliments than I did from my last pair of Jimmy Choos! They are of timeless quality that won't disappoint, and they are made in Thornbury, Melbourne.
