Gold Leather Flats – An Italian Summer Necessity
Gold leather flats for an Italian summer: why a flat beats a heel in the heat, and the colours gold shoes go with, from orange to pink.
Gold leather flats are what I want on my feet in an Italian summer. Nothing catches the sun like gold.
Gold shoes go well with colours like the ones below, from a shop in Lucca.
Gold leather shoes
Why gold? Gold is a statement. And it goes with nearly everything, from a breezy sundress to crisp linen trousers.
My mum wore gold shoes like these in the 1980s, in Australia. She had bought them in Italy.
Why flat? Save the heels for dinners and parties. On a boat, or walking round a market on a warm afternoon, a flat will carry you from morning to evening without a pinch or a sore arch.
What to look for
Turn the shoe over before you look at anything else. A leather sole and a leather lining mould to the foot over a summer. A synthetic lining makes it sweat.
Then look at the gold itself. Metallic leather is a thin finish laid over the hide, so it scuffs first at the toe and the heel. On a second-hand pair, that is where to check.
Looking after them is simple. Wipe them with a soft, dry cloth and keep them out of the water. Ordinary shoe polish dulls the shine, so leave it in the cupboard.
What to wear them with
Gold works as a neutral. It sits well with white linen, with denim and with navy, and it holds its own beside hot colours like the orange and pink in the photograph above.
Summer gold
So should you buy a pair? I would say yes. They will be on your feet all summer. And make them leather. For me, I will rarely wear anything that is not leather, silk or wool.
