He is a shoemaker in the purest sense of the term, someone who doesn’t talk about fashion but about posture, balance, real comfort. It was 2004 when, while working in his laboratory, Stefanelli saw Saint John Paul II suffering during the Via Crucis on television. Without any direct contact with the Vatican, it estimates the size of the Pope’s foot by observing his build and creates a soft model, designed to relieve pain, lined in sponge to ensure maximum comfort. Over the years Adriano Stefanelli has created customized footwear for three Popes. After the death of John Paul II, he began working on a new pair, this time at the request of Monsignor Stanisław Dziwisz, for Benedict XVI.