Colman Domingo Recalls His Father’s Transformative Florsheim Shoes at Met Gala 2025 Press Conference: A Look at the Exhibit’s Standout Shoes

“I learned about style from three gentlemen and a couple of ladies in my family,” Colman Domingo shared on Monday in New York at a press conference ahead of the 2025 Met Gala later in the evening. “Clarence, my stepfather, Colman Domingo, my natural father, and Derek, my older brother.” He recalled how his stepfather, who sanded floors for a living, would transform from his “work clothes” on special occasions. “I would watch him put on something completely new to redefine himself. Those nights he wore beautiful suits, good shoes–usually a Florsheim shoe–and a long trench coat, and he wore something my mother gifted me after his passing, a sapphire pinky ring.”

Along with the press conference, guests were able to see a preview of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute exhibition, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, which opens to the public on Saturday and runs through Oct. 26. The exhibit serves as the inspiration of the evening’s storied gala.

The footwear featured in the 2025 Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute exhibition, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, offers a look into centuries of Black identity expressed through fashion. Spanning styles, time periods and cultural narratives, the pieces illustrate the evolution of Black dandyism and the impact of footwear and fashion in shaping perceptions of race and self-fashioning.

The exhibit highlights historical pieces, such as black glazed kid leather shoes from the 1830s. The flat-soled shoes, edged with silk grosgrain ribbon, served as symbols of refinement during their time but were often caricatured.

Also included is the Alexandre Dumas père’s leather boots from 1848, worn during a candidacy speech in the Yonne region. Exchanged for sturdier footwear to navigate challenging terrain, the boots reflect both practicality and the seamless integration of style. Crafted by “one of the best bootmakers in Paris,” they capture the sophistication of 19th-century tailoring.

More contemporary pieces exemplify the lasting influence of Black creativity, with Walt Frazier’s iconic Puma Clyde sneakers from the 1970s, and British designer Martine Rose’s avant-garde Leather Snout Mule, from her fall 2023-24 collection, reimagines proportion and play, distorting traditional perceptions of footwear.

Here, see some shoe styles included in the Superfine: Tailoring Black Style exhibition.