What a son demands, a mother will do her utmost to satisfy, especially if it is within her reach, and strangely, that is how Repetto shoes came about. In 1947, Rose Repetto founded the world known ballet shoe company Repetto, after her son, Roland Petit demanded ballet shoes from his mother. Then 23, this now world famous French choreographer, became the first to own Repetto shoes.
Fascinating history on Repetto shoes
First designed as ballet slipper and pointes, it soon innovated to ballet slippers that were suitable for the streets of Paris.
Already famous among the ballerinas, it went under the microscope when Mme. Repetto created the ballerine Cendrillon collection which was worn by Brigitte Bardot in the movie …And God Created Woman (Et Dieu créa la femme). Sixty years later and more than one million pairs of ballet flats, the Repetto shoes are now the symbol for style and comfort.
Rudolf Nureyev wore Repettto Shoes
Despite all the fame and fortune the Repetto shoes made on the Repetto label, the company still continues to provide comfort and style to ballet dancers. Having Repetto ballet shoes and apparel are not only comfortable, they are durable. Some famous great names in the world of ballet danced their way on the stage using the famous Repetto shoes (ballet shoes): Rudolf Nureyev, Eric Vuan, Kirov, les Folies Bergeres.
Another famous artist, Serge Gainsbourg was infamous for having 30 pairs of these shoes every year !
The Repetto Shoes company fell into bad times when the founder, Rose Repetto died in 1984. The control of the company fell into so many different hands that did not understand the vision of the founder and it was not until Jean-Marc Gaucher, former head of Reebok’s French office, who decided to buy the company in 1999 that the company made a turnaround.
Karl Lagerfeld combines his famous shoe designs with Repetto Shoes
By streamlining the Repetto Shoes company designs and manufacturing, as well as only maintaining supplies for the high end boutiques, the company has risen in sales and fame. Karl Lagerfeld has joined the famous names that use the shoes by combining his fashion designs with the ballet designed shoes. This unprecedented union first happened and was seen in Lagerfeld’s 2009 collection. When the fashion first came out, no one knew who made the outstanding shoes that the models used with the clothes. But word quickly came around that they were by Repetto and it outshone the infamous Chanel gun sandals presented that same year.
Hilary Clinton wears Repetto Shoes
The shoes cost $200+ a pair and up, depending on the design. They are sold in about a thousand high end stores all over the world, and have attracted more than its fair share of famous celebrities: Sarah Jessica Parker and Hillary Clinton, just to name two. For those who are loyal users but cannot afford the more expensive lines, Repetto shoes still produces handmade slippers and Pointe shoes that are priced from $70 to $100 a pair.