Connolly's New Driving Loafer Is Inspired by Its Automotive Legacy

"We wanted the little details that no one had ever done," says Álvaro González, an old friend of Connolly owner Isabel Ettedgui and a notable shoe designer, with credits at Loro Piana, Valentino, and Jimmy Choo. Discussions between the pair began two years ago at his archive in Florence, where he presented an edit of random but pertinent shoes to Ettedgui to spark inspiration."

"The traditional driving-loafer category is largely owned by one design in particular: Tod's Gommino. The word means 'pebble' in Italian and refers to the little dots of rubber that serve as the slip-on's sole. It's been the cornerstone of the Tod's business for half a century. But it wasn't the first. That was by another Italian brand, Car Shoe - later purchased by Prada."

"She has, she says, had "a bee in my bonnet ever since to create a driving shoe that is really actually comfy to wear when driving." Connolly represents the zenith of quality in two very different industries. In business for nearly 150 years, the British brand rose to prominence as the foremost supplier of fine leather to the automotive industry."

Connolly, a British luxury brand with nearly 150 years of history, has established dual prominence in fine leather for automotive interiors and luxury clothing. The company supplied leather to Rolls-Royce for a century and continues serving Ferrari and Jaguar. Recently, Connolly introduced a driving loafer that explicitly bridges these two business segments. Designer Álvaro González, with experience at Loro Piana, Valentino, and Jimmy Choo, collaborated with owner Isabel Ettedgui on this project. Their two-year development process began in Florence, exploring diverse shoe inspirations. Ettedgui sought to create a genuinely comfortable driving shoe, addressing a gap in the market dominated by Tod's Gommino design for fifty years.

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