We love these handmade velvet slippers from our friends at Vibi Venezia. They explain it best: "The furlana is the quintessential Venetian slipper: the name dates back to the XIX century, when a few ingenious and brave ladies from Friuli began producing footwear with left-over fabrics and old bicycle tires. The legend narrates that a family decided to open a parlor for their scarpez , this is how they call shoes in Friuli, right by the Rialto Bridge. The friulana was an immediate success among gondolieres. The rubber sole allowed them to have a firm grip when rowing while still protecting the precious pitch-black varnish on their gondolas."
