Who is Gianvito Rossi, and how do Gianvito Rossi shoes fit? Read on to find out all about the Italian luxury footwear specialist.

Who is Gianvito Rossi?

Son of renowned Italian footwear designer Sergio Rossi, Gianvito Rossi (pronounced JHAN-VEE-TOH ROS-EE) grew up surrounded by shoes. 

 

“The shoes, heels, leathers, were like Lego to me. They were like toys,” Gianvito Rossi in an interview to Nuvo Magazine.

 

Having learnt the art of shoemaking from his own father, Sergio Rossi established his eponymous label in 1968. Following the success of the Opanca sandal, an extravagant Slavic-inspired design with a sole that curved around the foot, he became one of Italy’s most respected footwear designers.

In the following decades, Sergio Rossi collaborated with the likes of Gianni Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, and Azzedine Alaïa.

Gianvito joined the family business in 1999, building his own reputation and gaining invaluable experience working alongside his father. In 2005, after the Sergio Rossi brand was sold to the Gucci Group (now Kering), he decided to launch a footwear line of his own.

Timeless elegance and simplicity

Today, Gianvito has fully established himself in the industry. Loved by celebrities, including the Kardashians, Rihanna, and Sarah Jessica Parker, his shoes are defined by simplicity, sophistication, and exquisite craftsmanship.

 

“For me, the most important thing is the silhouette, the shape,” he told Nuvo Magazine. “I don’t like all these embellishments or studs or things like that. I think that the line is really what makes an elegant shoe.”

 

The Gianvito 105 pump is the label’s signature style, exuding femininity and elegance. Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, owns this timeless pointy toe in five different colors!

 

The Montecarlo D’Orsay, a pointy toe pump featuring a rounded ankle tie embellished with shimmering crystals, is another of Kate’s favorites. We also love the Vamp, a suede bootie featuring a deep décolleté, and the Plexi Pump, a refreshed take on Sergio Rossi’s Godiva Pump.

The label also offers a range of boots, sneakers, and accessories for women and men, including a shoe care kit featuring several products designed to clean and preserve your favorite footwear.

How do Gianvito Rossi shoes fit?

So, do Gianvito Rossi shoes run small or large? And are they comfortable?

Here’s everything you need to know about Gianvito Rossi sizing, before making your purchase:

• Like most made in Italy footwear brands, the label uses Italian sizing. The shoes are available in women’s IT 34 to IT 42 and men’s IT 39 to IT 46.
• They generally run true to size. Keep in mind that a pointy toe will fit narrower than a rounded toe—we recommend going half a size or even a whole size up when purchasing the Gianvito pointy toe pumps, depending on how wide your feet are.
• For all styles, we recommend comparing measurements with a similar shoe you already own.
• In terms of comfort, this quote by Gianvito Rossi in an interview with Elle speaks for itself: “People are not paying to suffer. If it’s uncomfortable, it’s not luxury at all”.

 

Gianvito Rossi Size Chart

Are Gianvito Rossi shoes worth it?

Now you know who Gianvito Rossi is, and how his shoes fit. But the question remains: are they worth the splurge?

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!

Here’s why.

Each pair of shoes is handmade in Italy, in Gianvito’s own factory in San Mauro Pascoli, using only premium quality leathers. From initial design to selection of raw materials to assemblage, each shoe requires 60 individual, by-hand steps.

 

To quote Telegraph Fashion: “Rossi is a stickler for quality, even though his shoes sell for the same—or sometimes less—than other equally elevated brands. Producing still from his own factory, he would rather concentrate on impeccable craftsmanship than bling.”

 

Sustainability is a core value for the label too—the company has partnered with the University of Bologna to calculate the CO2 released during the manufacturing process, and has mitigated its carbon footprint by 60%, applying circular economy principles to factory practices. By 2025, Gianvito Rossi aims achieve complete carbon neutrality.

And, compared to other luxury footwear brands, Gianvito Rossi is much more accessible: the label’s signature styles retail for an average of “only” $600. And if you shop italist, you can save save up to 40% off local retail pricing!

Discover the Gianvito Rossi store of your dreams on italist.

About the Author

Alex English is the Head of Content Marketing at italist.com, building on a lifelong passion for fashion and luxury. After publishing a lifestyle blog for nearly ten years and obtaining an MBA in Milan at SDA Bocconi, one of Europe’s top business schools, he joined the italist team in 2019. His work since then has focused on upper-funnel messaging, brand storytelling, establishing italist as a thought leader in the space, and enriching the customer experience on the platform. Find him on LinkedIn.