There are few better ways to flash your commitment to style and comfort than with a handcrafted, velvet slipper. Now Del Toro, a luxury footwear brand inspired by the rich heritage and timeless character of the “pantofole,” is offering a distinct nod to its elegant sporting kin, tennis.
To celebrate the ongoing 2021 U.S. Open Tennis Championships (underway through Sept. 12) in Flushing Meadows, Del Toro announced expansion of its timeless footwear line with a limited edition, yellow-green felt shoe series that teams with the Andy Roddick Foundation to help uplift American students.
The Del Toro Tennis Collection is the first iteration of the brand’s Sport Series and includes two swanky, signature styles: the Milano Loafer and Chukka. Available for men and women, each Del Toro slipper shoe is handmade in Milan, Italy with repurposed, authentic tennis ball felt. From sipping poolside beverages to snacking on gourmet sandwiches, this bright and bold collection readies wearers for any and all post-tennis activities.
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For this chic release, the Italian maker partnered with the Andy Roddick Foundation to allot 25% of all proceeds from its Tennis Collection to support supplemental student programs through the ARF. Founded by the former U.S. tennis star in 2000, ARF combines opportunity with mental health tools to provide a chance for children to become more connected at school, foster self-confidence, develop critical thinking skills and create healthy relationships with caring adults. ARF recently launched “Whatchamafeelit,” a social and emotional learning curriculum to encourage kids to explore and to express feelings in developing an advanced affective understanding.
“Society has an obligation to provide young people with opportunities to achieve their full potential. The Andy Roddick Foundation is making real, quantifiable progress and impact towards this goal,” Del Toro CEO Andrew Roberts said. “We are just a small shoe company at the end of the day, and there is nothing more important that we can do than to help organizations like the Andy Roddick Foundation achieve their mission.”
In 2019, a group of investors led by New York-based entrepreneur Roberts acquired the upscale brand. The name Del Toro arises from sport as an endearing nod to the Torino Football Club’s loyal fan base, evoking the brand’s deep admiration for the sporting life and connection to Italian culture. The Del Toro man is an aesthete passionate about art and design, an inquisitor into the surrounding world and a pursuer of effortless elegance.
To shop the Del Toro Tennis Collection, visit .
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