U-Power rewrites history

A world leader in the production of safety footwear, U-Power has been committed to guaranteeing safety and comfort to workers all over the world for over 20 years. On the strength of its proven experience and constant focus on innovation, the company has recently given life to an ambitious project: U-Power Lifestyle. Initiated almost as a joke from an impromptu idea of its founder, it quickly turned into a successful business model. The challenge was ambitious: to bring the experience and expertise of U-Power into the world of casual footwear, creating a line of innovative, comfortable and trendy trainers. The result is a product range that also stands out for its high design, attention to detail and slip-resistant certified sole. The urban trainers offer a variety of styles and colours to suit every taste and personality. Testifying to the appeal of the U-Power project are two exceptional ambassadors: Diletta Leotta and John Travolta, icons of style and charm who perfectly embody the values of the company: safety, comfort and unmistakable style. An ingenious intuition that is winning over an ever-widening public, decreeing the success of a project that has become a benchmark in the trainer scene.
U-Power: how has it become the brand we know today?
“Franco Uzzeni has a wonderful story behind him, no doubt about it. The significant growth path that has led U-Power to be the European leader in safety footwear began in 2017 with an intuition: to create a revolutionary product for the world of safety footwear. A product based on three cornerstones: looks, technology and comfort. It sounds banal, but it’s not. The look: let’s say for fun that making a shoe beautiful or ugly costs the same, so why not make it beautiful? In 2017, the world of safety shoes was dominated by shades of grey. U-Power brought colour and style, creating an eye-catching, modern look. Technology: at that time, our President met BASF, a world leader in polyurethanes and chemicals. Among other things, we should mention that BASF produces Infinergy, a resilient material that returns over 55% of energy, a true innovation, and U-Power has patented the use of this and other innovative materials in its footwear. Comfort: this is certainly one of the reasons why U-Power shoes are appreciated by workers. Wearing a safety shoe for 10 hours a day can be very uncomfortable. Our footwear, on the other hand, is comfortable, as well as technological and beautiful.”
From the idea of a revolutionary product to the conquest of the European market: how did communication contribute to its success?
“Shortly afterwards, Franco Uzzeni, aware that he had a truly innovative safety footwear on his hands, decided to bet everything on communication. The aim was to create a spark that, if the product was appreciated by the market, would turn into a fire. Which it did. Communication meant that U-Power became increasingly popular and sought after, not only in Italy but also in other European countries. The key factors were several. First of all, U-Power focused on a simple but effective message: its footwear is innovative, comfortable and safe, identifying its target audience in workers who need comfortable, high-performance safety footwear. The company has always maintained consistent and constant communication over time, through a variety of communication channels, including TV, radio, press, web and social media, thus strengthening brand awareness and winning the trust of the end consumer through the high quality of its products.”
What are your main markets and what are the international expansion plans of U-Power?
“Currently our main market is Europe. The company has branches in Italy, France, Spain, England, Germany and the Netherlands. It also serves Northern European countries, the Middle East and other non-European countries. In the next few years, months or even days, we will carefully evaluate any possible expansion scenario.”
How has U-Power diversified its offering in recent years?
“Since 2017, U-Power has never stopped. The company has continued to invest in research and development to create new footwear collections that combine technology, comfort and look. A winning trio that has led U-Power to become the European leader in safety footwear. In 2020, it decided to apply the same winning philosophy to clothing. Clothing, from a small segment of the catalogue, has become a real business unit with an increasingly important turnover. We are proud of this growth and will continue to invest in this sector. We have also introduced a range of gloves, which will be expanded with more than 20 new models this year. This complements a newly launched collection of work helmets and, in a couple of months, we will also launch boots.
What are the ambitions of U-Power for the future?
“We look to the future with ambition and will continue to innovate and diversify our offer to meet the needs of workers around the world. The goal is to continue to invest, be active and look for new opportunities, seize them and ground them with concrete strategies.”
How did the U-Power Lifestyle project come about?
“Over the years, our founder Franco Uzzeni has acquired vast experience in the world of footwear. His passion for this sector has its roots in his childhood, spent in his father’s factory, where his awakening was marked by the sound of shoe stitching. On the strength of this ten-year experience, gained in the field of safety footwear, Franco decided to make a shoe for himself. It was November 2023, and the idea behind the urban project was simple: to create a shoe that combined style, comfort and innovation. The success of the project was immediate. From that first prototype, the first shoes were then made for the employees of the company, which generated great enthusiasm. From there, the step was short. We asked ourselves about U-Power’s potential as a brand and, from our analysis, it emerged that it is not just a name, but a nationally recognised brand, in various fields. We would have been narrowminded to keep this collection to ourselves alone. So we came up with the idea of creating a lifestyle footwear line, which would go beyond the world of safety.”
What is the philosophy behind the project?
“Imagine two containers. In the first, labelled U-Power “Don’t Worry Be Happy”, you find our world of work: safety shoes, clothing, gloves, helmets and, in the future, perhaps goggles and other PPE. In the second, still partly empty, is U-Power Lifestyle: the world outside work, where imagination can run wild. The two worlds can dialogue. The sole of the new Urban, for example, is EN ISO 20347 certified with a non-slip sole. It is a standardised shoe, but to all intents and purposes also usable in leisure time. From this idea the collection was created: not only an urban lifestyle line, but an opportunity for all our customers to expand the offer and find a new busines. The project is having great success.”
What are your expectations for the future?
“The U-Power Lifestyle project has no boundaries in our vision. It is not an ephemeral initiative, but to become a solid and lasting corporate pillar. We believe in two divisions of equal weight: safety and lifestyle. In the world of civil footwear we are new, but aware of the value of our brand and our history.”

WWW.U-POWER.IT

Matteo D’Errico

Francesco Trova