In the past decade, Valentino’s Rockstud has managed to make a rebel out of even the most conservative wearer.
Whether in a T-strap, a high-heel pump, a flat gladiator sandal or a kitten heel, the footwear has become one of Valentino’s most recognizable pieces (and one of its most copied). It’s also one that is far more attainable for a wider consumer base than its fantastical evening gowns. Which is perhaps why the Rockstud has been offered as a commercial product even during the seasons when it wasn’t shown on the runways.
But for spring ’21, the Rockstud made its runway comeback in a big way — literally. At Valentino’s runway show at Milan Fashion Week Sunday, the footwear appeared with even bigger and bolder versions of its signature studs. Call it the Rockstud 2.0.
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Actually, it has a new name: the RomanStud. Done mostly in a flat, gladiator-style mule or a kitten heel pump, both with a pointed toe and ankle strap with a larger buckle, the new riff on the Rockstud was just one of a handful that walked the runway. There were also flat shower slides and kitten heels topped with Valentino’s leather rose motif. The heel heights echo previous seasons’ silhouettes for Valentino, which paired feathery evening gowns and flats for its spring ’19 collection.
On the menswear front (the runway show included men’s and women’s collections together), sneakers still ruled. There were more examples of the Valentino white sneaker, but there was also a cool new woven style that looked like someone’s granny had hand-crocheted an athletic shoe for the show.
