Our velvet is made from cotton's naturally soft and durable fibers. It's silky to the touch with a visible sheen, and designed and finished to stay smooth and flat.

Originally velvet was used for clothing worn on important occasions. It only became popular after the 1800s, when the art of Italian craftsmanship transformed it to be wearable in daily life.

We used the original construction technique for our Friulian shoes, from right where they originated. They adapt and mold quickly to the shape of the foot.  

The upper is chain stitched by hand directly to the outsole: there’s still no machine that exists to replicate the artisan’s manual skill. This makes every shoe one-of-a-kind.

As per tradition, it features a rubber sole made from recycled bicycle tires. 

Friulane shoes were originally called zavatis, meaning ‘slipper’, because they were worn primarily at home, but all that was needed was the addition of a rubber sole to make them suitable for outdoors.

Production is based in Gonars, in the Udine province, where friulane shoes have been made for generations. Back then, the village women would hand stitch them at home with a needle and thread, connecting the fabric to the sole with a sotpont - their dialectal word for an understitch. Today, our artisans make them following traditional methods. Here are some of their stories.