FIELD NOTES: FINDING FRICTION AT DIEMME'S FACTORY

In Montebelluna, a town in northern Italy's Veneto region, the hills rise dramatically towards Monte Grappa which stands at 1775 metres. It makes sense, then, that for generations this area has been the heartland of European mountain-boot mastery. 

It's here, in a factory founded in 1992, that Diemme continues a long tradition of shoemaking. As we walked through the factory, machines in motion, artisans crafting the next collection of Diemme kicks ready to be shipped to the more discerning of footwear aficionados, Global Sales Director Christian Holler chatted with us about where the brand sits in 2026.

Diemme’s design team is based in Oslo, while the making happens in Italy by hand, and that pairing of Scandinavian restraint and Italian craft has become the brand's signature. Its shoes are built on the lug soles, hooks, and hard-wearing construction of technical hiking boots, and then reshaped through a knowledge of contemporary style that can’t be faked. Diemme is a hiking boot brand that’s tapped in. 

The brand has been doing its thing for decades, but recent seasons have seen it gaining huge momentum in the market. The timing couldn’t be better. As the sneaker boom cools, buyers are looking for footwear made to last, with proper materials, repairable construction, and a story behind it. Diemme meets that appetite perfectly.

"Made for the city, but more than capable in the mountains" is how Holler sums it up. In our time together, he walks us through the styles, the details, and the philosophy behind one of Italy's most quietly influential names.

What are the key styles for AW26?

For the Diemme Fall/Winter 26 collection, we have some classics returning, such as the Cornaro and the Cornaro Gomma. They sit on a rugged lug sole, perfect for winter conditions but also throughout the year. We also have a returning new staple that we launched last season, the Bardolino and the Licata, which has been doing really well for us. Then you have the return of the Grappa Hiker, which has its heritage in Monte Grappa, the mountainside very close to the factory.

What makes Diemme unique?

The most unique thing about Diemme is that we own our own factory, which is an incredible asset. The design team sits in Oslo, Norway, and the rest of the magic happens right here in Montebelluna, where there's so much heritage and pedigree from actual mountain boot production. We put that into all the construction and the support, and then see it through a contemporary fashion lens, so to speak.

Another thing that sets us apart is that we prefer a bit of friction. We take a classic silhouette and put it on a chunky sole, or we take an interesting silhouette, put it in a neutral colour and match it with something more crazy. 

You can see that friction with the Licata in black calf hair. And for Fall 26 we have this lovely cracked leather in burgundy, which really stands out.

Can you talk us through some details that took a long time to develop?

Among our more recent designs, we launched the Lakota in the past year. It took a long time to develop: the toe box, the lacing system, the reflective piping on the side. It all took so long to get right, so to see the audience react so well to this new silhouette is really rewarding.

It usually takes us a minimum of one to two years to develop and launch a new style. Sometimes, as with the Grappa Hiker, it can take multiple seasons of wear, feedback from the market, evolution, and trends. The Grappa Hiker started as a more lightweight shoe, then we changed the outsole, swapped out some other features, and ended up with today's version.

Which is your favourite style and why?

My all-time favourite style would have to be the Roccia Vet. It's what started it all. It's the most honest shoe we make, and it's the pedigree that spawned the entire Cornaro range, which is essentially a low-cut version of the Roccia. It's been my go-to shoe for the last three or four seasons, and it works in any weather. I even wear them in 40 degrees at the market in Paris.

You can style it up or down; You can wear it with big baggy pants, cargos, dress pants, or wear some nice socks and show off your legs in the summertime.

How has Diemme remained popular since it was founded? 

I think Diemme has stayed relevant with the consumer for such a long time because of patience. We've always stayed true to our DNA, and you can see that on the shelf, in a showroom, online. You can instantly recognise that pedigree coming from hiking: the lug sole, the hooks, the total construction, the weight, the feel. That's something the market recognises and appreciates.

Quality and overall build is something we've never compromised on. Everything is still handmade here in Italy, at our own factory, and you can feel and recognise that in every single product we put out.

Another reason we've managed to stay in the market is the incredible partners who have followed and trusted us along the way. END. is one of the few that has stuck with us the entire time.

The market has shifted so much in those years, is it hard to keep up?

The market is constantly shifting and fluctuating, and if anything, we've sometimes been too early with some silhouettes. Once a silhouette, style, or aesthetic becomes too relevant or too trendy, we tend to steer away from it and move on to new silhouettes and new development. We know what we're good at and what we're not. As the old Italian shoemaker's saying goes: A cobbler should stick to his last.

What is the longest-running style?

The longest-running style from Diemme is the Roccia Vet. Not a lot has changed between the original, dating back 30 or so years, and the product we're putting out this year. Sure, it's slightly lighter and slightly more defined, improved here and there, but the overall aesthetic remains the same, and to this day it's still one of our most popular silhouettes.

We have multiple employees who have been with the company for more than 20 years. If we do change something, it's for the better, because there's new technology or a new way of doing things that increases productivity. We would never change just for change's sake.

A few years ago we changed the entire production line to get better quality control and more efficient days, and to be able to put more of the same handmade shoes into the market than before. So we've kept most things the same, while still adapting to the modern market we're in.

How would you describe Diemme’s design philosophy?

If I were to describe the design team's philosophy, I'd say they take classic silhouettes, add elements here and take away elements there. The craft and artisanal value, the hand feel, has always been key, and it's something we value extremely highly here at Diemme. Diemme is made for the city, but is more than capable in the mountains.

We think of our shoes as hybrids. They're constructed mainly for city and everyday use, but if you don't mind getting your shoes dirty, the construction, the materials, and the sole will easily take you into the mountains.