Friulane

In order to avoid slipping on the lacquered surface of their gondolas, almost all Venetian gondoliers today still wear a pair of velvet slippers with a sole made from old bicycle tires. At one time these slippers were sold by women from the countryside who would go about carrying large baskets on their shoulders. Today, the ones made by Gianni Dittura at Dorsoduro 871 in Venice are famous and original&b;. The slipper shape in colored velvet has since been used and ennobled by famous designers and brands, sharing a sort of common territory with the aristocratic English slipper bearing a coat of arms.