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The shoes first came to fruition in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, a stunning region in northeastern Italy that borders Austria to the north and Slovenia in the south.

The friulane slippers–originally called scarpets–were first made at least two centuries ago, at a time where the population lived off agriculture and managed to make ends meet by being resourceful. The first shoes were made with old clothing garments for the top-layer and discarded bed sheets for the lining and the soles. 

For centuries, Venice served as the most important cultural and trade hub for Italy and the rest of Europe and so the Friuli artisans eventually introduced their footwear in the city’s markets. With time, tweaks and improvements were made to the shoes, most notably using recycled tires for the soles giving them remarkable durability and traction, thus becoming the shoe of choice for the Venetian gondoliers. Fun fact #2: Viani shoes are still made with recycled tire rubber! Much like the denim jean or the trench coat, which started out as working class staples and made its way to the top of the socioeconomic ladder, nobles took notice of the shoe and began wearing them in high-end versions crafted in luxurious fabrics.