The making of an icon: Tod's Gommino shoe

Many years ago, I thought that the reason Gommino shoes had pebbles was because “dots” was an anagram of “Tod’s”.

Fortunately, such idiotic musings are a thing of the past, and I’m now perfectly aware that Diego Della Valle had taken inspiration from the driving shoes in the 1950s to create the popular Gommino. 

Della Valle’s initial thought was that people needed a well-made shoe that was as beautiful as it was comfortable, one that could be worn for casual, refined and professional settings alike. He developed a concept that eventually evolved into the shoe we know and love today, with its trademark 133 rubber pebbles.

Today, Tod’s may be known for its beautiful bags and ready-to-wear collection, but the first thing anyone immediately associates with the brand is nevertheless the signature rainbow circle of moccasins at the entrance of each boutique. The Gommino shoe remains, as always, the brand’s most desirable and coveted icon.

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Depending on the specific design, each Tod’s shoe can require up to 35 pieces of leather. The lengthy process begins with an artisan meticulously hand-cutting the pattern pieces, each of which must be individually treated and checked before they can be assembled.  

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Here, the artisan creates the holes that will later feature the Gommino’s iconic pebbles. Each shoe involves more than 100 steps from start to finish, from the hand-cutting of the pieces necessary for the basic structure, to the final stitching together of each individual part.

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