For the ancestral footwear factories that dot Italy's eastern coast, March is one of the busiest months. Not only do these four weeks arrive smackdab in the middle of manufacturers' enormous spring deliveries, they also usher in the lucrative resort season, too.

So as the Northern Hemisphere begins its annual defrost, Italy's family-run operations are shuttling their lush silks and buttery insoles across the globe for you to wear all summer long.