Rene Caovilla Heels: Celebs Who Love and Wear the Snake Shoe [PHOTOS]
René Caovilla is a brand in luxury footwear that goes all the way back to 1928, about a century ago. It was not called René Caovilla at the time but that was the year Edoardo Caovilla established a high-end shoe business. Since then the label has become a mainstay in the luxury market creating women’s footwear of all types, most-known for its serpent-like design accents. The names of celebrity who have won the shoes — Sharon Stone, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Bella Hadid and more — is practically as long as the company’s time in the business.
It was in the 1950s that René Caovilla began collaborating on his father’s business, eventually taking it over and and pushing it to more fashion-forward territory (he is still the president of the company while his son, a younger Edoardo Cavilla is the creative director.) Later came collaborations with designers like Valentino Garavani (which began in 1975) as well as Christian Dior (starting in 1980) and Karl Lagerfeld’s Chanel. And of course, there is the signature design: the Cleo.
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Named for Queen Cleopatra of Egypt, the so-called “snake shoe,” was first designed by Rene Caovilla in 1969 inspired by a bangle from first century BC Rome. He saw it in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples and set about trying to figure out how to incorporate the serpentine design into a shoe. The first prototype incorporated a metal coil that he extracted from a clock. But by 1973 he had created a version that was put to market. In 1975, the same shoe was displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City for its uniqueness and just last year the company feted 50 years of the design.
The Cleo has seen many iterations since that first introduction: encrusted with jewels, in tall and super tall heights and more. The design has been used as a blueprint to develop boots, has often been knocked off, and within the company has even spawned other other iconic styles. The Margot is similar to the Cleo but its coil snakes around the heel as well as the leg. That silhouette was introduced in 2021.
Here, we revisit some of the celebrities who have sported the Cleo and Margot sandals over the years, with their iconic snake-like designs.
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Celebrities Who Love (and Wear) Rene Caovilla
Colombian singer Karol G wears an Atelier Versace chiffon dress featuring a thigh-high slit as well as the Rene Caovilla Cleo sandal to the 25th Annual Latin Grammy Awards at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, on November 14, 2024.
Celebrities Who Love (and Wear) Rene Caovilla
LISA wears a pair of Rene Caovilla Chandelier heels with a tribute Fantasy bra to the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2024 at Duggal Greenhouse on October 15, 2024 in Brooklyn, New York.
Celebrities Who Love (and Wear) Rene Caovilla
Chanel West Coast wears Rene Caovila Lisa sandal in silver to the MTV VMAs at UBS Arena on Sept. 11, 2024 in Elmont, New York.
Celebrities Who Love (and Wear) Rene Caovilla
SZA wore a pink, frilly custom Kitschy Couture dress and Rene Caovilla Florainie stiletto heels embellished with flowers to the 2024 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on September 05, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
Celebrities Who Love (and Wear) Rene Caovilla
Saweetie wore an ombre Self-Portrait dress and Rene Caovilla Margot stiletto sandals to The Abbey Food & Bar on June 20, 2024 in West Hollywood, California.
Celebrities Who Love (and Wear) Rene Caovilla
Mark Emms and Bella Thorne (in Rene Caovila’s brown satin Cleo sandal) attend the Chopard “Once Upon A Time” evening at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on May 21, 2024 in Cap d’Antibes, France.
Celebrities Who Love (and Wear) Rene Caovilla
Emily Ratajkowski wore a high version of Rene Caovilla’s Chandelier sandals in black to a Met Gala afterparty on May 07, 2024 in New York City.
Celebrities Who Love (and Wear) Rene Caovilla
Kelly Rowland wore a light pink Georges Hobeika spring 2023 couture gown with Rene Goavilla Chandelier sandals to the Black Excellence Brunch at Serra on Vine on August 13, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
Celebrities Who Love (and Wear) Rene Caovilla
Ayesha Curry wore Rene Caovilla’s Margot sandal with a black base and gold straps to the Sweet July Skin launch party at Pineapple Club in New York City.
Celebrities Who Love (and Wear) Rene Caovilla
Mary J. Blige wears a chinchilla coat and silver crystalized Rene Caovilla Cleo sandal to her 52nd birthday party at Cipriani Wall Street on Jan. 14, 2023 in New York City.
Celebrities Who Love (and Wear) Rene Caovilla
Emily Ratajkowski wore a red Dior minidress and a pair of red Rene Caovilla Cleo sandal to the Kerastase Pop Party Photocall at Centre Pompidou on Oct. 20 in Paris, France.
Celebrities Who Love (and Wear) Rene Caovilla
Lori Harvey wears a hooded Maison Alaia dress and Rene Caovilla Cleo heels to Beyonce and Tiffany & Co.’s Paris Fashion Week closing party at Palais De Tokyo on October 04, 2022 in Paris, France.
Celebrities Who Love (and Wear) Rene Caovilla
Nicki Minaj (wearing a feather Roberto Cavalli spring 2023 dress and Rene Caovilla Cleo sandals) and LL Cool J emcee at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Aug. 28, 2022.
Kim Kardashian is all smiles as she parties with friends in Miami
Kim Kardashian wears a green leather dress and tall Rene Caovilla crystal-embellished Cleo heels in Miami for the opening of the Goodtime Hotel in South Beach.
2020 CMT Music Awards – Red Carpet
Kelsea Ballerini wears a vintage Tom Fordgold pailette minidress by Tom Ford and crystal-embellished Rene Caovilla Cleo sandals to the 2020 CMT Awards broadcast on Wednesday October 21, 2020.
‘FENTY Beauty’ By Rihanna – Red Carpet Arrivals
Rihanna wear Rene Caovilla Cleo snake sandal at the ‘FENTY Beauty’ by Rihanna launch at Harvey Nichols Knightsbridge on September 19, 2017 in London, England.
amfAR Gala Cannes 2017 – Arrivals
Bella Hadid arrives wearing the Rene Caovilla Cleo heel at the amfAR Gala Cannes 2017 at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on May 25, 2017 in Cap d’Antibes, France.
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