Mecap

Mecap launched in 1970 in Barletta, in the Puglia region of southern Italy, with the goal of bringing a new type of Italian footwear, comfortable, well made and fashion-forward, to the domestic market. The brand's sneakers became especially popular in the second half of the 1970s, known for bright colors, a raised sole, and pricing that made them accessible compared with other Italian sportswear brands of the period.

Poor investment decisions led the original company to close by the mid-1980s, and the Mecap name went dormant for roughly three decades. Around 2012, a group of younger entrepreneurs, Fabio Manfredi, Pierpaolo Peroni and Lorenzo Verginelli, working together with the Gianfrancesco family, revived the brand out of nostalgia for the original 1970s sneakers. Dario Gianfrancesco partnered with the Goldenfit shoe factory to relaunch production.

The relaunched Mecap has continued to develop the product technically, introducing insoles made from a natural, hypoallergenic and biodegradable compound designed to mold to the wearer's foot while remaining breathable and flexible, alongside the brand's continued 'Made in Italy' manufacturing claim. The company today operates out of Barletta, still describing its core identity around comfort-first, fashion-forward sneakers in the spirit of its 1970s original line.