I just got back from a two-week summer holiday in Italy, a country that fashion people like me have long turned to for style inspiration. As much as it was planned as a reset ahead of one of our busiest seasons (fall brings fashion month, Black Friday, holiday prep, and much, much more), I also needed a re-up of creative energy, which is why much of the trip was spent people watching in one way or another, whether I was enjoying a pre-dinner aperitivo in one of Rome’s many piazzas or walking from one shop to the next in Milan. I love nothing more than seeing what people wear in their daily lives in different places, and in Italy—particularly in the two aforementioned cities—everyone chic was wearing one specific shoe trend: Venetian slippers. Now that I’ve seen dozens of people style them, I’m convinced I need a pair too.
Women across the country chose Venetian slippers, famously worn by Venetian gondoliers, over all other footwear options, including ballet flats, loafers, and heels of all kinds. I saw them styled with jeans and a T-shirt, dresses, and skirts paired with tank tops and sweaters. The shoe style’s signature velvet fabric was colored in a variety of different colors, both vibrant and more muted, including jade green, navy, and burgundy. I saw gold pairs, red pairs, and even orange, all of which looked effortless and unique, as well as comfortable (especially compared to the often uncomfortable shoes I wore the entire trip—typical).
After about the fifth sighting on my first day in Rome alone, I knew what I had to do upon arriving back home. That is, buy a pair of Venetian slippers to wear throughout fall and beyond. Who’s next? Keep scrolling to shop some of the best pairs on the market, with brands like Scarosso, Flabelus, and ViBi VENEZiA being among my top suggestions.
