Pantofola d’Oro at Pitti Uomo 109: 140 Years of Football, Culture and Contemporary Vision
At Pitti Uomo 109, Pantofola d’Oro celebrates 140 years of history, reaffirming its DNA: a football heritage intertwined with Italian craftsmanship and a cultural vision that speaks to the present. In this context, the collaboration with Thebe Magugu is renewed and evolves, expanding for the FW26 season to include, alongside footwear, an apparel offering.
“For 140 years, football has always been the beating heart of Pantofola d’Oro. It is not just a sport, but culture, identity and connection. The vision of Thebe Magugu translates all of this into an authentic and deeply human language. With FW26 we celebrate our anniversary by looking to the future, uniting footwear and apparel in a project that speaks of inclusion, style and sharing."
Kim Williams, CEO of Pantofola d’Oro
The capsule revolves around the aesthetics and values of Street Soccer, a social and cultural phenomenon capable of generating belonging and redemption—a universal language that crosses continents and personal stories.
“Football is a unifying phenomenon. In South Africa it is a true social remedy: people of every class, race and belief share joy and pain together. That’s why I consider it a global cultural indicator. Doing this with Pantofola d’Oro makes the project even more meaningful."
Thebe Magugu
The FW26 evolution introduces essential winter tracksuits, conceived as contemporary uniforms: pattern-free garments that are functional and enveloping. The colors echo the palette already presented last June at Pitti Uomo, with references to the warm tones of the savannah, reinforcing the narrative coherence of the collaboration.
On the footwear side, the 540 model remains the protagonist. Derived from a technical football shoe and reinterpreted in a lifestyle key, its slightly retro, streamlined silhouette is enhanced by suede and a Vibram x Pantofola d’Oro rubber sole, while the lacing that wraps under the sole recalls the brand’s football archive. The model is offered in multiple colorways, for both men and women.
Pantofola d’Oro also renews its know-how with the garment-dyeing technique applied to the upper, used on the 540 and Superleggera models: pastel tones on crust calfskin for a delicate, slightly vintage effect.
The Thebe Magugu x Pantofola d’Oro FW26 collection will be presented at Pitti Uomo 109, an opportunity to celebrate a significant anniversary and to tell the story of a project that, inspired by Street Soccer, confirms fashion as a space for dialogue between culture, identity and social vision.
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