Quality
Direct
No middlemen.
As part of our commitment to quality, we built our own factory in Colombia and brought in Italian craftsmen to teach the secrets of their trade to our artisans.
And we are no less committed to our clients. We ship our shoes to you directly, allowing us to sell without the huge retail markup while fulfilling our mission: to craft the highest quality footwear available and provide opportunities to underprivileged women.
We are proud of our commitments to quality and dignity, and hope you feel it in every step you take in a pair of Donum shoes.
Walk with Confidence
Timeless craftsmanship.
DONUM footwear and accessories are made in the Italian tradition, in our state-of-the-art Colombian factory, with the utmost attention to detail, using the finest materials and construction techniques.
The final look is achieved by hand painting every pair of shoes and applying Italian Patinas to ensure that each pair is uniquely beautiful.
ANATOMY OF A DONUM SHOE
Fine Leather
We use only the finest Italian calfskin and suede, selected from the highest quality lots and tanned to soft, supple perfection.
Perfect Form
We align elegance and power of form with absolute comfort.
Construction
From the perfection of our stitching to double layers of cushioning, every element of our shoes are crafted with tradition and perfection.
Timeless Style
One of the most distinguishing attributes of Donum shoes is our styling.
Fine Leather
Using only the finest Italian calfskin and suede leathers, our skins are selected from the highest quality lots and tanned using the chrome tanning technique resulting in softer, suppler leather that is highly stable and more durable than vegetable tanned leather.
We examine all the leathers and linings by hand, selecting the best placement on each skin for the positioning and cutting of the pieces that will eventually form the upper. This results in higher consumption of leather per pair, but ensures that the upper is of the absolute best in quality and appearance.
Perfect Form
A last is a mechanical form that has a shape similar to that of a human foot. It is used by shoemakers in the manufacture and repair of shoes. The correct last is imperative for both the comfort and look of the shoe.
Donum has invested the time and effort to deliver the comfort and style that clients demand, working with Italian expert craftsmen to develop the perfect last where the elegance and power of the form are naturally aligned with absolute comfort.
Construction
Donum shoes are created by stretching and tacking the upper to the last (form) of the shoe. The upper remains on the last for 10 days, ensuring the proper fit, longevity of shape and integrity of the upper.
We use the Blake construction method, known for its use in the fabrication of high-end shoes, particularly in the Italian tradition. This construction is simpler than a welted construction, with an elegant single row of stitching attaching the insole to the upper and outsole. This allows greater flexibility with fewer layers and less bulk for a cleaner look.
Timeless Style
Our beautiful leather coloration, artfully hand painted by our expert colorists. With evocative shades and tonality, each pair is distinctive and rich with life and character. We use the finest patinas available in our long and intensive polishing process ensuring the final result–each pair is a work of art.
Raw leather soles and heels are trimmed and beveled to attain the ideal visual lines and thickness. The leather is buffed, colored and toned using non toxic pigments to obtain our signature purple outsole. Steel stacks are used to reinforce the heels and to provide an elegant finish. The “gentleman’s notch” is done to the inside corner of the heels to prevent your heel from getting caught on or snagging your pants’ cuffs; just another detail of a perfectly-made pair of shoes.