See The Pretty Flat Shoe Trend Women in Europe Are Wearing This Fall

One of my favorite things about traveling is discovering the little fashion nuances that distinguish one city from another. While I’m always paying attention to what women are wearing in fashion capitals like Paris and Milan, I’ve found that Madrid is particularly good at making a case for shoe trends I hadn’t previously considered. Case in point? The velvet Mary Janes and Venetian-style slippers that seem to have taken over the city’s streets during my visit earlier this fall.

Every time I visit Madrid, I make a point of stopping by Flabelus, the Spanish footwear brand that’s helped popularize the style, to pick up a new pair. The shoes actually have roots in Italy, where traditional velvet flats, known as friulane or Venetian slippers, originated in the Friuli region before becoming a staple in Venice. Once favored by Venetian boatmen for their soft rubber soles, the slippers have since gotten a decidedly fashionable makeover.