For many decades on the market, the Marche footwear company Exena is a leading brand in the panorama of safety footwear. Alfio Cicchinè, its founder and long- standing managing director, spoke to us about the past, present and future of his company at the new, outstanding headquarter in Civitanova Marche.
Let’s talk about the origins of the brand.
“From an early age I breathed the air of my father’s artisan shoe factory. It was a small workshop, but I learned a lot there and became passionate about this world. After gaining experience in our family business, I decided to take a different path. I entered in the production of uppers for sports shoes in a large company in the sector and worked there for 15 years. Over time, observing the market, I realized that something important was missing: many workers, even those who worked in rather risky sectors, did not have adequate footwear to protect themselves. This lack not only put their safety at risk, but also negatively impacted their productivity and well- being. I wanted to create a company that responded to this need for safety, offering shoes that were also comfortable and with a very high component of innovation. So, right from the start, my collaborators and colleagues and I learned to design and create products that protected workers, but were also comfortable for daily use. Our priority, now as then, is the utmost protection of the worker in terms of safety and global well-being. This is how Exena was born.”
Would you tell us about it?
“Sure. Many years ago, we were abroad and worked as suppliers for some major brands. During that period, Benetton had purchased an expensive direct injection machine, but the resulting product did not meet expectations and was therefore never marketed. One day, under pressure to get rid of this unused machine, their manager asked me if I was interested in purchasing it. At first, I was hesitant, because until then I had mainly dealt with uppers and not finished shoes. However, I saw a possible development for our company, so I seized this unique opportunity and accepted the challenge. Once we purchased the machine, we obtained a series of molds from one of our customers to start testing the production of safety shoes. At that time, it was very successful and registering several orders, which gave us a great starting point. This has allowed us to enter the polyurethane injected footwear sector and good growth prospects. To date, I would say that this step was essential for us, marking the beginning of a new path for the Exena company.”
What can be considered the turning point for Exena?
“The turning point came when we decided to focus on injected safety shoes. This change was possible thanks to the cooperation with one of our customers and to the growing demand in the international market. We took advantage of this opportunity to present ourselves on the market with our brand and quickly establish ourselves as one of the points of reference in the safety footwear sector. Today we look ahead with optimism, comforted by the figures and keeping on investing in research and innovation to develop increasingly safe and comfortable footwear. We are also enlarging our international presence, with significant growth in emerging markets such as Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Egypt, Romania and Bulgaria. These countries are experiencing a process of economic, social and infrastructural improvement, and we see in them a great potential for market growth which we are promptly supporting, with the same professionalism and enthusiasm as always. In the past, safety shoes were mostly considered service footwear, essential in color and shape, very “basic” both, perhaps, due to deep-rooted cultural preconceptions and professional convention. Today, however, consumers are increasingly moving towards higher quality products and with greater attention to style and design. A specific request oriented towards quality, therefore, to which we are responding with products boasting a high added value, especially in terms of materials and applied technologies. In established markets such as Germany, France, Spain and Italy, our presence is stable. We have managed to maintain our quotas consistently and effectively. This balance allows us to keep on innovating and improving our products, ensuring we remain competitive and relevant in ever-changing markets.”
As for what’s new, what does Exena present on the market today?
“Our attention is certainly always placed on quality and innovation. Today, we are focusing on a project that is a profound paradigm shift compared to the models we have been working on for years. It is a line of footwear with an innovative shape, which maximizes comfort thanks to the EVA sole. Initially, we thought it was just a high-quality shoe, but as the project progressed, it transformed into something exceptional in every way. This line combines style and protection, without compromise. The top model, named SPRINT, is a shining example of this. The upper is made of soft breathable fabric, for superior comfort and optimal ventilation. The breathable synthetic fabric lining is abrasion resistant, ensuring long life. The toe cap, resistant up to 200 J, effectively protects without weighing down the shoe. The multi-layered, removable and anatomical insole adds an additional layer of comfort and support, with anti- static properties for complete safety. Last but certainly not least, the anti- perforation plate is made of synthetic fiber with minimum thickness which allows, at the same time, optimal impenetrability and unparalleled flexibility. We will present the entire line in an as top preview at the Safety Expo in Bergamo next September, and we are already proud and satisfied with what we have developed. We hope that our customers, current and potential, welcome this innovation with the same enthusiasm and pleasure with which we designed, conceived, developed and created this new product family”.
Do you also produce boots?
“Yes. Although our core business remains low-cut footwear, we have decided to expand our production to also include boots. A production of which we are very proud as it is entirely made in Italy, therefore it embodies all the excellence of our territory. Our Italian production plants are now equipped with two new advanced machines for the molding and injection of polyurethane and PVC boots. This investment was a positive turning point for us, as it allowed us to retain those customers who in the past purchased shoes from us but searched elsewhere for boots. Now they can purchase both types from a single supplier, increasing their satisfaction and optimizing costs. Even though we are relatively young in this sector, we are approaching it from a new and innovative perspective, that of “beautiful, good and well made”, typical of true ‘Made in Italy’. Our line of boots is meeting considerable success, in particular the Nitro model, in PVC, much appreciated for its quality and variety of colors. The Thunder line, in polyurethane, has been well received, and has broad growth prospects. The boots are therefore now an integral part of our catalogue. It is a new project, somehow still young, but it has a solid and well-structured ‘mother’ to manage these long-term projects. We are undoubtedly confident that in a few years we will have a very high level of boot sales. After all, for a quality product it is only a matter of time before it establishes itself. And one thing we certainly don’t lack is patience and constancy.”
Alfio Cicchinè, Exena founder and managing director