FEET IN FEET WITH YOUR IDEAS
FOLLOWING THE FOOTSTEPS OF CONQUEST
ALPIM XXI continues its course, carrying with it the second generation of the Pinho family.
Within these walls, built with a lot of hard work, walk the steps of the father, Rita Pinho, and Joana Pinho. Side by side, always with well-defined goals, they stepped into this project and promise to make their mark in the footwear industry.
Will we see a third generation parading through these corridors, ensuring that the name ALPIM XXI endures over time? Well, the passion for footwear runs in their veins, after all, a shoemaker's son is a shoemaker!
The process
Development
Supporting our clients in the development of samples, material choices, and liaising with other companies in the sector that provide various services, acting as a bridge to achieve a final result that does justice to the design that has come into our hands.
We develop everything from shoe lasts, soles, heels, and applications, including all kinds of decorative elements, such as embroidery, patchwork, and leather printing.
This work is carried out with our most loyal partners, who are always available to develop new products.
The creative process is of utmost importance in a fashion-related industry. Here, all the ingredients come together to ensure that the final result meets the desired expectations. The combination of all elements allows us to create an exclusive shoe that reflects the image of each brand.
Modeling
This department is equipped with CAD – for footwear – plan scanning and subsequent piece extraction, allowing for superior cutting quality, as well as molds with precision and details that would be laborious manually.
The technique is the art of bringing models to life, combining the best of both worlds. The planning of shapes, drawing, and model development is done manually and later refined using CAD.
This is where the models come off the paper and begin to gain three-dimensionality, aiming to structure and test them in order to achieve a product where aesthetics do not overshadow its function and comfort.
Cutting
Over the years, brands have increasingly invested in design, which, coupled with growing globalization, has escalated order numbers as well as the diversity of models and their variants. This market dynamic led Alpim to invest in machine cutting.
Alongside CAD modeling, machine cutting allows for scaling numbers, obtaining a careful, clean, precise cut with an excellent finish. This is halfway to achieving a shoe that stands out for its quality.
We also offer manual cutting, which is carried out with the skill and experience of those who handle the knife with distinction, and mechanical cutting, or swing-arm cutting, which brings efficiency in achieving a quick cut of pieces that remain unchanged for a long period of time.
Technological evolution allows the company to grow, but without the constant technical evaluation of each collaborator, it would be impossible to maintain the standards that are the authenticity of Alpim.
Sewing
The sewing sector combines the best of handiwork with machine expertise, always allied with a human component and its experience. We already have a team consisting of more than two dozen professionals.
Equipped with a production line that allows us to achieve daily production goals, where the quality and skills of the collaborators who bring it to life every day merge to achieve a cut that excels in excellence.
Sewing is one of the most crucial sectors within a shoe factory, as this is where the magic happens. Pieces, colors, and textures come together, and shoe models come to life long before they are finished. Here, we already have a quite uniform and realistic perception of the final result.
Assembling
Equipped with a flat assembly line capable of manufacturing a final product that meets the needs of our customers and the ambitions of ALPIM.
With increased workplace safety and a high level of productivity, the line allows for cleaner and more streamlined work compared to old methods. However, it is the hand of man and the skillful application of knowledge that will determine the final product.
Mechanical evolution has helped the sector progress and improve each process in achieving the quality that the name Portugal has taken to the four corners of the world.
Finishing
At the end of the production line, where hundreds of pairs arrive daily into the hands of those who will take care of them with utmost attention.
The sector where the manual skill of the art is felt, and years of experience take over. Brushing, waxing, cleaning, retouching, painting, and attaching finishing insoles, quality control, and packaging are some of the processes that will determine the quality of the product that reaches the consumer's feet.
With small touches and a lot of passion for the art, the finisher imparts their wisdom to each pair that passes through their hands. Finally, neatly packed in boxes, they follow their route to the feet of those who acquire them.