“The gold pumps – handcrafted, inlaid with rubies – symbolises the union between the queen and her subjects, on both the heel and upper decorative motif,” Roger Vivier’s creative director Gherardo Felloni tells Style.

Tradition reigns supreme within the British royal family, and this reverence extends to their fashion choices, including footwear. In 2020, the brand unveiled a modern rendition of the Vivier Queen Sandal, serving as a timeless tribute to the enduring heritage of its artistic vision. “The Vivier Queen Sandal is the epitome of elegant footwear,” says Felloni.

Over the years, members of the royal family have turned to their most trusted shoe designers, from Jimmy Choo, a popular brand among all the ladies from Meghan Markle to Kate Middleton, to Princess Diana’s “Love” pumps from Christian Louboutin and her wedding shoes from Clive Shilton, complete with over 150 pearls and 500 sequins.

When it comes to the crème de la crème of shoemakers, a select few have earned the ultimate accolade from the British royal family: a royal warrant. This coveted recognition signifies exceptional quality and service, and for those lucky enough to receive it, they are granted the honour of using the distinguished Royal Arms as a symbol of their prestigious status.

John Lobb, Trickers, and Crockett and Jones, for example, all hold royal warrants from King Charles.

Rayne Shoes, which has long held a royal warrant, has a storied history with the British royal family. Originally founded as a theatrical costumier in 1885, it expanded into footwear and opened its first shoe shop in London in 1920. It became an overnight success and has worked with royals including Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, Princess Anne and Princess Diana.

Now headed by Nicholas Rayne, great-grandson of Rayne founders Henry and Mary Rayne, the brand has kept a warm professional relationship with the family. “My late father Sir Edward Rayne also used to visit the queen at Buckingham Palace to select and fit her shoes personally,” he shares.

It crafted shoes for then-Princess Elizabeth’s wedding in 1947. Its designs were also among the shoes that graced Queen Elizabeth’s feet during her 1953 coronation, and she continued to wear them on significant state occasions throughout the 1950s. Rayne also made Princess Anne’s wedding shoes in 1973 and Princess Diana’s famous pair of purple pumps that she wore on her visit to the Taj Mahal in India in 1992.

Rayne’s long-standing relationship with the royal family led to memorable moments. In the 1950s, it crafted waterproof shoes for the Queen Mother’s Wembley Stadium appearance, fondly dubbed her Rayne football boots. Additionally, in the 1960s, Rayne helped repair shoes chewed by Queen Elizabeth’s beloved dogs, at the request of her dresser, Miss MacDonald.

Meanwhile, modern royals continue to strike a harmonious balance between tradition and exploration, embracing both established favourites and new brands. Among these emerging names is Sauvereign, a Hong Kong-based brand founded in 2020, renowned for its artisanal art objects, including footwear.

Amelia adds, referring to Sauvereign’s recent collaboration with Studio Putman, “We thought it sounded really fascinating how both [the brands] could come together to create such chic and stunning pieces across both wearable sculptural ornaments and also home goods.”

“[Working with royals] can help us amplify our philosophies and our ideals,” says Sauvereign founder Bertrand Mak, “And, of course, with Hong Kong being a former British colony, it’s been a while since a member of the royal family has been to the city, so we are delighted to welcome them”.

Lady Violet Manners was also chosen to rep Sauvereign pieces. “[Sauvereign shoes] fuse practicality and beauty seamlessly,” she tells us. “It really depends on the occasion. For a wedding as the wedding guest, for me, shoes must tie the overall look together. Whereas with a more fashion look in the evening in London, I like shoes to be a statement or make a statement against the perhaps demure or especially effeminate outfit.”

Besides Sauvereign, Windsor has also worked with shoemakers like Pretty Ballerinas, designing an exclusive capsule collection for the brand, while the Spencer twins have been tapped by labels like Gina Shoes.

Manners is currently working on another shoe collaboration with her sisters, with designs coming out in Asia later this year.

“The special bond between maison Roger Vivier and royalty translates all timelessness, glamour and elegance that are part of heritage and DNA,” says Felloni.

Nicholas Rayne, who had the privilege of personally selecting and fitting Queen Elizabeth’s shoes for nearly a decade before her passing, carries on his family’s legacy: “Rayne has managed to reinvent itself many times over the course of its now near 140 years of existence so as to stay relevant to the luxury customer of the day, and this trend has continued to today too.”