Founded in 1971 and currently led by CEO Marco Dalla Guarda, the Vicenza-based company CDG represents a privileged observatory of technical footwear evolution, establishing itself as a benchmark in injection press manufacturing thanks to a constant balance between traditional know-how and a strong drive for innovation. Headquartered in Carrè, CDG has interpreted radical market changes, which over the past thirty years have elevated the sole from a merely functional component to a distinctive footwear feature, producing machinery capable of managing high closing forces and extremely precise injection systems.
The core of the company's strategy lies in the ability to provide tailor-made solutions, a bespoke approach capable of turning brand creative visions into tangible production realities, supported by the technological transition from the Beta series to the Mega series, specifically designed to accommodate large molds and ensure superior performance.
The most ambitious challenge the company currently faces concerns overcoming structural material limits, focusing on a field where sustainability often clashes with performance requirements.
To address this need, CDG is concentrating its efforts on developing a revolutionary prototype based on physical foaming technology, a solution designed to break the current industry dichotomy: while TPU allows the use of recycled materials but suffers from weight, polyurethane offers extraordinary lightness yet remains incompatible with circular economy practices.
Through gas injection directly into the polymer, CDG's new technology aims to physically expand the material, drastically reducing the density of recycled TPU and giving it a lightness comparable to polyurethane, without compromising mechanical properties or final sustainability.
As highlighted by Mauro Feracin, Technical Manager at CDG: “This project could be truly transformative for the entire sector, as our goal is to find the perfect compromise between sustainability and performance through the in-depth study of physical foams, overcoming the technical constraints that have so far forced manufacturers to choose between an eco-friendly and an ultra-light product.”
This research drive is not limited to traditional molding, extending to high-profile collaborations such as with Koridion, opening futuristic scenarios where carbon fiber could be applied even in luxury footwear, despite current technical transformation challenges.
Despite an uncertain global geopolitical context, CDG closed 2025 with results exceeding expectations, looking to 2026 with the awareness that competitiveness necessarily relies on investing in young talent and disruptive technologies. “Our ability to innovate is what keeps us competitive,” concludes Feracin, reaffirming that the company vision is firmly focused on a future where physical foam technology will set the new standard of Italian manufacturing excellence.
