An "IT" Shoe; 100 Years in the Making
Rene Caovilla's snake shoe has wrapped around the ankles of the most influential celebs You’ve likely never heard the name René Caovilla before but you’ve probably seen the Italian shoemaker’s distinctive snake shoe coiling up the ankle of Bella Hadid. GETTY IMAGES TONY BARSON Or Joan Smalls. Or Gal Gadot. Or in the case of Rihanna, who wore a custom pair, all the up to her thigh. Stuart Weitzman’s Nudist sandal long reigned as the de facto red carpet sandal but Caovilla’s snake shoe, called the Cleo, is gaining ground. The rise of the blingy, verging on gaudy, sandal coincides with the decline of minimalism. Alongside the meteoric rise of Alessandro Michele’s Gucci, maximalist brands like Caovilla are finding new footing. What’s unusual about Caovilla’s snake shoe is that the stars who wear it want to show it off. Shoes are generally hidden underneath a gown. Shoe publicists pray for a rainy red carpet so their client gets an unexpected moment to shine whe...