Rome during World War II. Clara and Vera spend all their time at home, having tea, cleaning up, and talking. They talk about everything: whatever has happened to each of them, the people who are gone, the people they miss. Mostly, what they chat about – popping up like a leitmotiv, like a chance to talk about what they aren’t supposed to talk about – is shoes. Which should be in good condition, decent, at least, if not elegant; and instead they have cracks in them, and the soles are peeling off. But no point in complaining: these are the shoes they have to work with. They need be proud, and even – though in wartime it seems absurd – be pleased, a little. Why not arrange a competition for old shoes, complete with a judge and contestants? Scarpe rotte is the story of two women and their close bond. And how, sometimes, dreams can keep the world’s chaos at bay.