We love these handmade velvet Mary Janes 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."