Furlane (shoe)

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

The furlane shoe originated in the countryside of Friuli hundred years ago. They regained popularity in Europe at the end of the Second World War.^[1]

Red Cross nurses, looking for practical alternatives for footwear, made furlane shoes from donated materials. Much of the material, including velvet, fabric, and rubber, came from private donors and small businesses. The task of creating these shoes provided simple, practical work for those who were unemployed, particularly in hospitals such as the Military Hospital, the Morelli di Popolo, and the Regina Margherita.^[2]

Later on when they started 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.^[3][4]

Furlane shoes came back into fashion in 2016, especially in the United States.^[5][6] 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,^[5] the furlane shoes won appeal for their origin in recycled materials,^[7] and adaptability.

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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.^[8]

• Bast shoes, Similar footwear in Balto-Slavic cultures of identical etymological derivation (from fiber used in their manufacture)
• Espadrille, Casual shoe with rope sole
• Waraji, Light tie-on sandals
• Okobo, Traditional Japanese platform clogs
• Zori, Flat Japanese sandals

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