In the 1960s, the Jet-Set Era was in full swing. The luxurious lifestyles of Bardot, Hepburn, Sinatra, and the like were broadcast to the world. Everyone wanted to know where they were vacationing, what cars they were driving, and what clothes they were wearing.
Enter Gianni Angelli, head of Fiat Motors. Often called “The Godfather of Style”, Angelli was a star for the stars. When he did something, everyone took notice. “When he was not perfectly dressed, it was contrived,” says writer Taki Theodoracopulos. Angelli was a master of sprezzatura, the Italian word meaning: making the difficult look easy. At that time, it was said one outfit worn by Angelli could inspire a whole James Bond wardrobe. As the head of Fiat, Angelli’s leadership took the world by storm and helped strengthen the culture of leisure driving that was growing in Europe. This trend was further bolstered by Italy’s new highways, the high profile Ferrari and Alpha-Romeo models that were being built and, in a perfect example of life imitating art, the affinity James Bond’s character had for luxury items and fancy roadsters.
And so it was around this time when someone came up with the idea for a luxurious, handmade shoe that you wear only while driving. The car shoe was born.
There are two companies that lay claim to the original design of the car shoe, but it was Tod’s, led by Diego Della Valle, who made the car shoe known around the world. Over the years, the shoe’s popularity grew, eventually taking it from behind the wheel and out into public life. Of course, when influential characters like Angelli were seen wearing them, everyone had to have a pair.
The farther back you go in the history of style, the more uncomfortable and unwieldy the clothing becomes. Back then; shoes were quite heavy and stiff. The car shoe was innovative and modern in its idea that fashion can be comfortable. The design of the shoe was inspired in part by Valle’s travels to America, where he spent time in affluent social circles on the east coast. He was impressed by what he called, “A new mode of dressing elegantly but informally.” The shoe is just that. Its beautiful, handmade characteristics say luxury and class, while the leather construction and lack of a hard sole make it as comfortable as a moccasin. In fact, the shoe is often called a driving moccasin.
Stylist Adrian Clark says, “Men buy into the idea of driving shoes for two very different reasons. First, for the comfort factor; offering the formality of a loafer but with the lightweight and practical construction usually only found with a sneaker. Second, for status; nothing says “I own a sports car” better than wearing a pair of Tod’s.”
Each hand-made shoe goes through more than 100 steps in production, a process that takes place in the small Italian village of Cassette d’Ete. The sole of the car shoe is made up of many rubber buttons or gommini, (Italian for rubber tips), a design choice originally intended to allow the driver to grip the pedal better. The shoe is made from one single piece of leather, formed to fit the foot perfectly, and the gommini are extruded through the bottom. The lack of a single, flat sole allows for more flexibility and comfort.
“If you examine the iconic products around the world, whether a watch, a pair of sunglasses or a pair of shoes, there is a simple test to their authenticity. Do they become more charming as they get older?” – Diego Della Valle
Assuming you are a shoe lover, what do you think it would take for you to decide to buy a pair of these legendary shoes? The psychology of pricing is fascinating. Someone might justify spending €4,000 to be able to hang a limited edition Banksy screen-print on their wall, but they’ll turn around and say that spending €500 on a pair of shoes is an unnecessary luxury. To me it seems to come down to what sort of art form the buyer appreciates most. If you’re into ad-busting guerrilla-art gone mainstream, then the Banksy print is for you. But if you’re the kind of person who loves shoes, maybe a masterpiece in the form of a pair of Tod’s is more your speed.
A self-made millionaire once confessed to a psychological trick he attributed to his success: Fake it till you make it. Back in the days before he hit it big, when $100 felt like a lot of money to him, he would always carry at least one $100 bill in his wallet. Whenever he went to make a purchase, he would see that $100 and feel rich. Maybe instead of a boring banknote, you’d prefer to wear your inspiration. Maybe the next time you have an important meeting, you’ll feel a little more confident walking in to that meeting knowing you’re wearing a pair of legendary shoes, and if they know anything about style, they’ll be impressed!
Sprezzatura.
Tod’s Car Shoe: Sprezzatura
http://www.tods.com/en_gb/
