Inside Casadei’s Shoe Factory in Cesenatico, Italy

Whenever I’m shopping at a thrift store, I always look for

shoes

. There are only two real requirements for me to buy a pair: They’re in my size and were made in Italy.

It was always a hunch that Italian shoes were worth buying even if they were used (not something I based on any facts), but when I went to

Italy

for the first time last year, my intuition proved to be correct. Specifically, I went to Cesenatico, the small town outside of Rimini where the

Casadei

family has been producing their iconic shoes for sixty years. There, I got a tour of the factory, where each shoe is made by hand.

Recently, celebrities like

Cara Delevigne

and

Cate Blanchett

have been spotted on the red carpet wearing Casadei, and we still haven’t forgotten about the red thigh-high Casadei boots

Beyoncé wore

to perform at the 2013 Super Bowl.

Cesare Casadei, the creative director and son of founders Quinto and Flora Casadei, takes pride in designing the perfect awards season shoe. Meanwhile his daughter, Arianna, who heads up marketing and communications, is intent on maintaining a style range that encompasses both red carpet shoes and ones that work for everyday.

With the brand’s new 60th anniversary collection, the family is well on their way. The shoes have the label’s signature stainless steel “blade” heel encased in plexiglass, in a walkable two-inch

slingback

“It’s like being in love,” Cesare says of the shoe. “You can tell in your gut when it’s right.”

Click through to see the Casadei factory tour and a first look at the anniversary shoes.