Sole searching: behind the timeless appeal of Venetian slippers – from Kate Moss and Katie Holmes to Kanye West and Chris Pine, celebrities fell for the flat-soled Italian shoe of the gondola
- The flat-soled shoes were crafted by hospital patients in Italy during World War Two, working with velvet and rubber scouted by Red Cross nurses, before gondoliers embraced the ease of the flat sole
- From ballet-core and twee TikTok trends to post-pandemic down-dressing, Venetian slippers are finding a new vogue, sparked by labels like Capulette, Vibi Venezia and Le Monde Beryl
Inspiration struck Lily Atherton Hanbury during 2015’s Venice Biennale.
“It was the year one of my favourite artists, Sarah Lucas, was representing the British Pavilion and there was so much to see every day and to do at night, with no downtime or really even time to change,” Hanbury tells Style. It was during that trip that she and business partner Katya Shyfrin fell in love with the Venetian slipper (also known as the Friulane), which the duo found to be versatile, comfortable and chic.
The shoe’s humble yet cinematic backstory didn’t hurt. Historians say that during World War Two, Red Cross nurses in the northeastern region of Friuli gathered rubber, velvet and other fabric scraps, which the wounded in hospitals then used to make flat unisex shoes. Rubber soles helped the style gain popularity among Venetian gondoliers, who’d avoid both slipping and damaging their wooden boats with harder soles.
Hanbury and Shyfrin founded Le Monde Beryl, a high-end accessories label with the Venetian slipper at its core, in 2016. Little did they know that years later, said shoes would shine as one of fashion’s trendiest items, spotted on everyone from Kate Moss to Jennifer Lawrence to Kanye West.
Katie Holmes is one of Le Monde Beryl’s more fervent celebrity fans; alongside the brand’s seasonal kitten heels, the actor has been spotted in their emerald green Venetian mules, which boast a sharp pointed toe, while out and about in New York City. Unsurprisingly, the patron saint of flat and feminine footwear, Alexa Chung, has also put her preppy spin on the slipper: alongside embroidered, patent leather and suede styles, she’s worn a navy velvet pair with a smocked floral sun dress, and has been photographed in Le Monde Beryl’s mary janes while holidaying.
Though new, the Venetian slipper’s blend of style and comfort have cemented it as a modern wardrobe staple.