Among the many Italian surnames that preserve traces of medieval occupations, a significant group derives from the craft of the shoemaker. For centuries, shoemakers occupied an essential role in Italian society, producing and repairing footwear in workshops where skills and techniques were often passed down from one generation to the next.

The profession was highly respected, particularly during the Middle Ages and the early modern period, when artisans formed the backbone of urban economic life. As a result, many occupational bynames eventually became hereditary surnames.

Several Italian surnames derive directly from the word calzolaio (“shoemaker”), including Calzolaio, Calzolai, Calzolari, Calzolaro, and related forms. Others originate from ciabattino, another term for a shoemaker or cobbler, particularly one associated with the production of simple footwear such as slippers (ciabatte). Examples include Ciabatti, Ciabattini, Ciabattoni, and Ciavattini.

A second large group of surnames derives from the Italian word scarpa (“shoe”). These include Scarpa, Scarpi, Scarpis, Scarpello, Scarpelli, Scarpetta, Scarpetti, Scarpitta, Scarpitti, Scarpino, Scarpini, Scarpinato, Scarpuzzi, Scarpulla, Scarpone, Scarpace, Scarpaci, Scarpante, Scarpanti, Scarparo, Scarpari, Scarpato, and Scarpati. Such surnames may have identified either a shoemaker, a leather worker, or someone associated with the manufacture, sale, or repair of footwear.

Some of these surnames are particularly common in regions such as Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, areas with a long-standing tradition of leatherworking and shoemaking.

Other surnames may derive from terms associated with footwear or shoemaking tools. For example, the Lazio surname Bischetti has been linked by some scholars to the archaic Italian word bischetto, referring to a small shoemaker's bench or worktable, suggesting an occupational origin connected with the craft.