Tod’s moccasins are both a best seller for the brand and a classic standard in shoemaking. With 133 rubber pebbles on the sole, the Gommino has made its CEO Diego Della Valle proud. Indeed, Diego is an all-American success story.
The story behind Tod’s is that of a simple shoemaker’s grandson who one day became a billionaire. In 1970, the young man took up his father’s line of work in a tiny shoe workshop. His ambitions would later lead him to an unassuming street in Manhattan where he would unveil his driving shoe, a moccasin with Portuguese roots that was already a favorite amongst race car drivers. Once in his workshop, he cleverly harnessed his rubber pebbled sole and transformed the driver’s shoe into a street shoe. In 1978, the Gommino was born.
The president of Tod’s, known for his passion for leather, put all his unique savoir-faire into this shoe in keeping in line with the traditional Italian way of life. Diego Della Valle says “…at the time in Italy, we were always dressed to the nines. I wanted to create a casual product to wear during the week with a suit, with jeans on the weekend: that was the big idea behind Tod’s. With a major innovation: making a rubber sole elegant.”
While the Gommino is a shoe through and through, it actually gets compared to a glove more often than not. “We envisioned the shoe like a pair of gloves. We think all the time about light, softness, comfort and utility, something that you can really wear everyday.”
Today, the Tod’s brand has renewed itself yet again with its line of moccasins for women. Each season sees new colors, limited edition series, and special orders. 30 years later, Tod’s moccasins are still being revered (though this time by the ladies)! The design house has even added color and a little spunk to its latest spring-summer collection. Blue, green, beige, or purple: it’s never been easier to find the shoe that fits you just right!
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