Aquazzura: The Modern Italian Luxury Shoe House Redefining Contemporary Elegance

Aquazzura is one of the youngest names in Italian luxury footwear. Edgardo Osorio launched it in Florence in 2011, and within a decade it was stocked by major retailers worldwide and known for one promise above all: heels you can wear for a whole evening. This guide covers where Aquazzura comes from, who owns it, what its signature shoes actually are, how it is made, and how it compares with the Italian houses it competes against.

It is part of our wider look at Italian designer brands, and it sits next to the older shoemakers covered in the same cluster, including Gianvito Rossi, Sergio Rossi and Santoni.

Is Aquazzura a Luxury Brand, and Is It Italian?

Yes to both, with some nuance. Aquazzura is a luxury footwear brand: it sells at designer price points through retailers such as Net-a-Porter and Bergdorf Goodman (per Business of Fashion’s profile) and through its own boutiques. It is Italian in the way that matters for most buyers: the studio and flagship are in Florence, in the Palazzo Corsini, and founder Edgardo Osorio has said the shoes are handcrafted in Tuscany, about an hour from Florence (Business Today interview, January 2025). Embroidery is reportedly done in India, so as with any house, “Made in Italy” is best read per product rather than assumed for every item in the range.

What it is not is a heritage house. There is no century-old workshop behind the name, which is the main difference from Ferragamo or Santoni and the reason this guide judges it on design and wearability as much as on craft.

Aquazzura at a Glance

The History of Aquazzura

Founder Background

Edgardo Osorio was born in Colombia and raised between Miami and London. According to Business of Fashion, he moved to London at 16 to study at the London College of Fashion, left early to work as a shoe and accessories designer at Salvatore Ferragamo, and at 23, while studying at Polimoda in Florence, became head of shoes at Roberto Cavalli. That path through two Florentine fashion houses explains why Aquazzura is based in Florence, close to its suppliers and manufacturers.

Launch in 2011

Osorio has described the idea as coming from a summer of weddings, where guests complained that their shoes hurt on the dance floor, and has said he started with about $15,000 of his own savings (Business Today). The debut Spring/Summer 2012 collection reportedly sold out within days of Barneys New York placing an order. The company’s own telling is that social media and boutique buyers did the rest, so treat the “overnight success” framing as the brand’s narrative rather than an independent finding. For background on other young Florentine labels, see our piece on emerging Florence designers.

Growth and Expansion

Milestones that are documented in the sources we checked:

• 2014: Osorio won Best Accessories Designer of the Year at the Elle Style Awards.
• 2016: A capsule collection with Salvatore Ferragamo, the house where he had once worked.
• 2017: A collaboration with the wallcovering and furnishings house de Gournay.
• 2022: La Conceria reported turnover on track for about €67 million, up 75% on 2021, and said handbags would reach shops in March 2023. The same report said the founder preferred to stay independent while a financial partner was expected.
• 2025: Osorio told Business Today the brand operates in over 58 countries, with boutiques in cities including Florence, London, New York, Milan, Paris, Capri, Riyadh and New Delhi, and that eyewear, a men’s capsule and home products were being considered.

Revenue and store counts change quickly, and these figures are the brand’s or press-reported numbers at the dates given, not audited results.

Aquazzura vs Other Italian Luxury Shoe Brands

Price tiers here are relative positioning, not quoted prices. We have not listed current retail prices because they vary by market and season and could not be verified at the time of this update; check the brand site or an authorized retailer before buying.

Design Philosophy: The Aquazzura Aesthetic

The house’s recurring signatures are delicate straps, ankle wraps, cut-outs and decorative details such as fringe, tassels and pom-poms, set on heels built to be walked in. The brand describes its approach as pairing glamour with comfort; whether a given pair delivers that depends on the model, heel height and your foot, and no brand’s comfort claim should be treated as a guarantee.

Color, Texture and Embellishment

Compared with the monochrome restraint of Gianvito Rossi, Aquazzura leans into color, velvet, suede, satin and embellishment. The Powder Puff pumps, for example, use velvet and an oversized pom-pom, which the brand links to the founder’s Colombian heritage.

Why Aquazzura Grew So Quickly

Three things stand out in the press coverage. First, a clear product idea: a glamorous heel marketed on wearability. Second, early backing from influential multi-brand buyers, starting with Barneys New York. Third, visual, photogenic design that travelled well on social media, which Osorio himself credits. The tradeoff is that visibility-driven growth means the brand is judged less on decades of workshop tradition and more on whether recent collections hold up, which is why construction and care matter below.

Aquazzura Craftsmanship and Construction

Materials

• Leather and calfskin: Used across pumps, sandals and boots; check each product page for the exact leather and lining.
• Suede: Common in Wild Thing and Sexy Thing styles. Suede marks easily with water and oil, so it needs a protective spray and a suede brush.
• Satin, velvet and silk finishes: Used for evening and bridal shoes; these show scuffs and moisture more than leather.
• Embellishment: Crystals, beading, fringe and embroidery. Embroidery is reportedly done in India (Business Today).

Where and How It Is Made

The founder says the shoes are handcrafted in Tuscany. The brand does not, in the sources we reviewed, publish a construction breakdown per model (for example whether a given sandal is stitched, cemented or a hybrid), so claims such as “handmade” or “traditional Italian techniques” should be read as the brand’s description. Check the made-in label and product page for the specific pair, especially for handbags and accessories, whose production we could not verify.

How It Compares With Traditional Shoemakers

Houses like Santoni and Salvatore Ferragamo compete on workshop heritage and resolable, structured construction. Aquazzura competes on design and fit. Heels at this level are typically not designed to be resoled many times, so think of them as occasion and statement shoes rather than decades-long daily footwear. For how the term “handmade” is used in Italian shoemaking, see our guide to handmade Italian shoes explained.

Iconic Aquazzura Shoe Styles

Sexy Thing

Per The Luxury Closet’s brand guide, the Sexy Thing was Osorio’s first design for the label. It is often described as a “12 hour” shoe because of its comfort, and blends sandal and bootie elements. It is made as a sandal and a pump in several heights and materials, so check the exact version.

Wild Thing

The Wild Thing is known for fringe on the front strap and tassels on the ankle wrap. It also became the subject of a legal dispute: Aquazzura sued Ivanka Trump’s fashion brand, alleging that its fringed sandal copied the design (reported by Business of Fashion). It is available in sandal and pump versions across heel heights.

Powder Puff

Velvet pumps or slingbacks with an oversized pom-pom, described by the brand as inspired by a makeup puff and the founder’s Colombian heritage. A good example of Aquazzura’s decorative, color-led side.

Forever Marilyn

Named after Marilyn Monroe, a pointed-toe pump with cut-outs and tassels. It is the most classic pump silhouette of the group.

Christy

The Christy is a pointed-toe ballet flat with lace-up ankle ties, which makes it the most everyday option in the range. (An earlier version of this article described it as a boot; that was incorrect.)

Bridal and Evening

Bridal and evening shoes are a major category for the brand, which fits its origin story of wedding guests with sore feet. Satin and embellished versions are meant for limited wear, so protect them from rain and abrasive floors and store them in dust bags.

Aquazzura vs Gianvito Rossi

Gianvito Rossi is the minimalist alternative: clean lines, sculptural heels and a mostly pared-back palette. Aquazzura is the more decorative choice, with straps, fringe, color and embellishment. Choose Gianvito Rossi if you want one shoe that disappears into an outfit, and Aquazzura if the shoe is meant to be the statement. Comfort varies by model in both houses, so try the specific style where possible.

Aquazzura vs Sergio Rossi

Sergio Rossi is the older name with a longer evening-shoe history; Aquazzura is the newer, more playful label. Both target glamour, but Aquazzura’s identity is built on a few recognizable styles and their variations, while Sergio Rossi is better known for its sculptural, architectural evening silhouettes. Neither should be assumed to be better made on brand name alone.

Aquazzura vs Santoni and Tod’s

Santoni and Tod’s are built around everyday leather shoes and loafers (see our Tod’s shoes guide), while Aquazzura is built around heels and occasion wear. They answer different needs; the closest overlap is Aquazzura’s flats such as the Christy. For men’s and everyday options, see our guides to Italian loafers and Italian dress shoes.

Is Aquazzura Comfortable?

Comfort is the brand’s selling point, and the “12 hour” nickname for the Sexy Thing comes from that. Reasonable expectations: a secure ankle strap and a well-placed heel help, but a high stiletto is still a high stiletto. Practical tips that apply to any heel: choose the lowest heel height that suits the occasion, check how the strap sits against your ankle, try shoes late in the day when feet are slightly swollen, and wear them around the house on a carpet before a long event. Aquazzura does not publish biomechanical data on its heels, so we do not claim specific arch-support or weight-distribution engineering.

Price vs Value: Is Aquazzura Worth It?

You are paying for design, finish and brand positioning at designer-heel prices, with materials and Tuscan production as part of the package. Whether that is worth it depends on use. For a wedding, a special event or a statement piece, cost per wear is naturally higher than for everyday shoes. For longevity, suede and satin are the most delicate choices, and the structure of a heel makes repeated resoling less likely than with a welted dress shoe. Pricing in the sources we checked was not consistent enough to quote, so verify current prices with the brand or an authorized retailer. Pre-owned markets list Aquazzura regularly, but do not treat any pair as an investment, and use a reputable authenticator or retailer when buying secondhand.

Who Should Buy Aquazzura?

• Wedding guests, brides and event-goers who want a recognizable, decorative shoe.
• Buyers who prioritize a comfort-led heel design and are comfortable with statement details.
• Shoppers building an occasion-wear wardrobe rather than a daily-wear one.

Who Should Not Buy Aquazzura?

• Daily-wear buyers: heels with delicate straps and suede are not designed for daily commuting; a structured loafer from Santoni or Tod’s is a better fit.
• Minimalists: Gianvito Rossi is the more restrained choice.
• Craft purists: buyers who want resolable welted construction and a long workshop heritage will be better served by a traditional shoemaker.

Final Verdict

Strengths: a clear design identity, recognizable signature styles, a comfort-led approach and wide retail availability.

Weaknesses: a short heritage, delicate materials on many models, and limited public detail on construction and pricing.

Position in Italian luxury footwear: Aquazzura is a Florence-based contemporary luxury label that competes on design and wearability rather than on heritage. It suits event and statement shoes best, and is a weaker choice if you want everyday durability or traditional resoleable construction.

Explore more Italian luxury shoes: Gianvito Rossi Brand Guide | Sergio Rossi Brand Guide | Santoni Brand Guide | Tod’s Shoes Guide | Italian Shoes vs French Shoes | Handmade Italian Shoes Explained | Best Italian Loafers | Best Italian Dress Shoes