Manfredini’s Modulas patent: the last can be dismantled to prevent tearing the upper

Founded in 1957 by Francesco Manfredini as a small artisan workshop in Casandrino, in the heart of Campania’s footwear district, Formificio Tacchificio Manfredini is now in its third generation. Francesco and Luca Manfredini lead a well-structured company: two industrial plants covering over 10,000 square metres, 3- and 5-axis CNC machines, a branch in Civitanova Marche and established partnerships with major luxury brands. Lasting, heels and footwear accessories: an identity forged over almost seventy years, in a journey that has transformed an artisan workshop into an automated industry capable of rapid prototyping.

It is against this backdrop that the Modulas patent emerges, unveiled for the very first time at Lineapelle in February 2026.

What is the problem? There is a physical limit in shoe assembly that cannot be circumvented: once a certain point of tension is reached, the upper gives way. It tears or deforms. With very wide lasts, that critical point is often reached. A standard last, in fact, cannot be removed from a wide-lasted model without forcing it — and forcing it means compromising the product.

The Modulas system, developed by Manfredini, incorporates rails into the last along which detachable parts slide. When the last is removed, the outermost parts of the last itself, mounted on rails, detach, remain inside the shoe, and allow the last to be removed effortlessly. The tension that caused tearing and deformation is no longer generated.

The system is flexible in terms of the materials to which it can be applied: aluminium, polyethylene or 3D printing, depending on the item, the thickness of the last and the stresses anticipated during the pre-assembly phase. The patent was filed a few months ago, following a feasibility study initiated by specific requirements reported by customers.