Now you can step into the Queen’s shoes for just £1,425
SHOES worn by the Queen at her coronation 67 years ago have been recreated by the brand named after the footwear’s original designer.
The new Vivier Queen’s Sandal comes in hot pink, black and gold – the same shade as the original design – and will be sold by Roger Vivier for £1,425 at the label’s London outlets when they reopen later this month.
Vivier, the French designer, was commissioned to make the sandals that the Queen would wear for her coronation on June 2 1953. Working for British shoemakers Delman, Vivier created a style which complemented the Crown Jewels.
“The original shoe featured the fleur-de-lis motif that decorates the St Edward Crown and the Imperial State Crown worn by the Queen,” said Gherardo Felloni, creative director of the Roger Vivier label. “And, being the inventor of heels, he made sure that the shoe was fit for royalty by putting jewels all over the heel.”
However, Her Majesty’s coronation robes, designed by Norman Hartnell, obscured the sandals during the threehour ceremony.
In 1954, the year after the coronation, Vivier famously introduced the “aiguille” – or stiletto – heel, using a metal rod to form a sturdy, streamlined shape. The precise height of the Queen’s coronation shoes is unknown, but images provided by Vivier suggest a significant elevation of about three inches. Felloni decided to recreate the sandals for his spring/summer collection after looking in the brand’s archives.
“For my interpretation, I kept the original fleur-de-lis motif but made the silhouette more modern,” he said. “I also made both a platform and stiletto version, but the heel remains a focal point, which I covered in crystals.”
During his career, Vivier also designed the shoes worn by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother at her 1937 coronation and the Belle Vivier block heels, made famous by Catherine Deneuve in the film Belle de Jour and loved by Jacqueline Kennedy. Although he tweaked the original version, Felloni said Vivier’s coronation shoes were “very elegant and this is something that never goes out of style.
“When I designed the Vivier Queen sandals, I wanted this elegance to be appreciated by the Vivier woman of today.”