A simple invention can change history. A'RCOPEDICO was founded in 1966 by Professor Elio Parodi, revolutionizing the market with a simple yet groundbreaking product: a shoe combining comfort, technology, and foot care.
The brand reflects its founder's vision, offering a shoe with a twin arch support system for proper support and 100% proven comfort.
Even today my father's time has still not arrived. It will come later. He often had ideas, but he found himself always overtaken by time. In the end he was always 50 years ahead of the story.
Enrico Parodi - founder’s son
The first shoes featured a techno-elastic knitted upper promoting proper blood circulation, along with an innovative arch-support sole. This approach set the foundation for A'RCOPEDICO’s ongoing innovation.
I had to convince people that were in the cafes to put on the A’RCOPEDICO shoes. People had to experience the sensation. When I convinced them to put the shoes on, I knew I would be able to sell them
Maria Lourdes Parodi - co-founder
In 1982, Enrico Parodi took over leadership, expanding the product range, introducing leather shoes or the Lytech footwear, and entering international markets, including Spain, Italy, and the U.S.
Nowadays, A'RCOPEDICO produces over 600,000 pairs per year, exporting worldwide. The brand’s future continues to focus on innovation and is now managed by the third generation of the Parodi's family, Elio Parodi, founders grandson. The brand expertise and technology is the foundation for new brands like Ortomedical and ARCO, the last one also based on the ambitious Star Shoes project.
It's part of our DNA that we continue to strive to improve, innovate and seek out something better for the consumer.
Elio Parodi - founder's grandson
STAR SHOES Project
Star Shoes was a bold global project aimed to study the human foot at a worldwide scale. In collaboration with INEGI - Institute of Science and Innovation in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (University of Porto), A’RCOPEDICO analyzed over 2.500 footwear consumers, creating the world’s largest footprint database. The findings were unanimous: shoes with customized insoles reduce maximum pressure values and promote a more even pressure distribution.
