Furlane (shoe)

Furlane or friulanes, also known as Gondolier slippers, are Venetian shoe slippers. Characterized by their flexible rubber soles, these shoes are usually flats or low heels, with velvet fabric uppers.

Origin
The furlane shoe originated in the countryside of Friuli hundred years ago. Only towards the end of the Second World War.

Red Cross nurses gathered donations of velvet and fabric, as well as old rubber, from private donors and small businesses. They were used to offer simple and practical jobs to the unoccupied in various hospitals, such as the Military Hospital, the Morelli di Popolo, and the Regina Margherita.

Later on when they start getting sold on the Rialto Bridge, they went on to appear on the feet of the Venetian gondoliers, who used them to protect the wood of the gondolas.

Italian businesswomen, Viola and Vera Arrivabene launched their own line of these shoes in 2016.

Modern furlanes
Furlane shoes came back into fashion in 2016, especially in the United States. They have often been reshaped into a modified, elongated shape that has a small heel and a slightly peaked toe.

Worn at the Venice Biennale, the furlane shoes won appeal for their origin in recycled materials, and adaptability.

Manufacture
The manufacture of furlane is generally more intricate than other slippers, with the upper part being the most complex to manufacture. In the post-war era, when the Red Cross gathered materials for the people of Friuli, furlane shoes were started by some ladies from Friuli, who layered the cloth from old clothes, sheets, and pieces of tablecloth. Each swatch was bound and cut with a sharp knife to form a comfortable sole. Over time, the cloth sole was replaced with the runner from bicycle tires, which is sometimes still used today.