They have different names but you will immediately recognise them: we are talking about these delightful and extremely comfortable little shoes which are now a classic, an evergreen that transcends fashion and meets with the approval of all, the top accessory in the wardrobe of young ladies and gentlemen.
The roots of the Furlane, which many call Friulane and which in Venice are called Patusse, lie in the countryside of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia where they were used during village festivals, on anniversaries and, above all, were always on the feet of brides on their wedding day.
Elegant and simple at the same time, these velvet slippers with rubber soles were witnesses to a great tradition of craftsmanship but also forerunners of material recycling: the soles were made from bicycle tyres, the padding was made from old jute sacks and old scraps of fabric were used for the uppers: in short, the furlane were always different from one another and craftsmen could unleash their creativity by inventing new details, unusual combinations and ever different materials.
In the past, we find Furlane shoes already at the beginning of the 19th century: they were the favourite shoes of the gondoliers of the Serenissima because the rubber sole, besides not ruining the painted surfaces of the gondolas, made them waterproof and not very slippery. And then the velvet kept them warm in winter, while the "low-cut" shape made them cool in summer.
It is said that Patisses were widely appreciated by Venetian noblemen, who used them during amorous encounters because they made no noise: thanks to the rubber sole, it was easy to escape undisturbed from the alcove in case of danger.
And here we are, at last, in the present day: only five or six years ago high-heeled shoes were a must, a real dictat imposing a shameless and seductive femininity. Today everything has changed and ballerinas, slippers and loafers are the must-have accessory for next summer: low heels galore! The time of the Furlane has come, or rather: it's back. The ancient peasant shoes have all the credentials to embody today's style: they are colourful, informal, genderless, ageless, sustainable, egalitarian and inclusive. We see Furlane walking undisturbed in the fashion streets, caressing the feet of supermodels and influencers, peeping out in the most social posts and stories of the moment.
This is why we have decided to dedicate a small space in our magazine to the furlane, friulane or patusse and propose in our and those produced by our friend Carla Vallotto, who personally chooses fabrics and velvets and entrusts their manufacture to Veneto craftsmen who have always scrupulously followed tradition. And there's nothing left for us to do but choose the colour!
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