Tony Bianco Heels Are Built For A Long Night

Tony Bianco was born in Catanzaro in 1947 and moved to Australia with his family in 1958. By twenty two he was making sample shoes at home, and in 1972 he and his wife Michela opened a small factory in Hawthorn, Melbourne, with five employees. The brand is still family run, now directed by their sons Anthony and Adam, and I think that shows in the shoes. They are made for real evenings, weddings and long dinners, by people who have watched them get worn.

 

This first group is the tall end, and the Tony Bianco shelf has grown. The Emily is the slingback I would point anyone to first, tan with a darker toe, and the Nesta is a second tan pointed slingback. The Mixa does the same idea in black suede with an open toe. The Noni is a white mesh slingback, very pretty for a summer wedding, and the Spoilt in ivory satin and the Embla in black satin with a ruffled strap are the dressier ones. The Donte is a black slingback with a mesh panel on a low heel. The Dima strappy mule, the Demure thong sandal in silver and the Lover are the evening ones, with the Lover's ankle strap making it the most secure. The Malibu, the Dashing and the Savant are stiletto mules in black patent, tan and taupe suede, and the Sicily is the same shape in brown suede, very good with tailored trousers. The Sofia in ivory lace, the Stassie in ivory satin, the Track in chocolate and the Marameo in gold are the party mules. For pumps there is the Matrix in black suede, the Etro in black brocade, the Envy in black and the Legacy, a block heel with a turquoise toe. The Maxos in amber metallic and the Asti in a pale ashen tone round it out.

 

My test with any stiletto is to stand on one foot in it for ten seconds. If the heel wobbles or your foot slides forward, it will be worse at hour four.

 

What I would skip: a backless mule for an outdoor wedding on grass. The heel sinks and the shoe stays behind.

The second half of the range is where I think Tony Bianco is most useful: the same materials and finish at heights you can actually stand in all night.

 

The Samar is a milk capretto slingback, the most comfortable of the pumps here, and the Caprice uses the same soft capretto leather on a lower heel. The Darcy is a black slingback at a mid height, the Baker is a pointed patent pump and the Stevie is a black pump on a mid heel. The Cherry is a low heel court shoe, and the Crush and the Sammy are low heel slingbacks. The Ruma in mocha and the Fiesta, a low black mule, would work just as well at a dinner as at the office, and the Sarah in espresso suede, the Sia in black, the Connie in ecru snake, the Kima with its bow and the Maxy in steel suede are the low mules. Then the kitten heels: the Annie in tan, the Kassy in black and the Dana in white nappa are all thongs, and the Tiffany is a strappy sandal on a small heel. The Maddi is almost a ballet flat, a low pump with a bow. The wedges are the Avanti, a white thong on a black base, the Matisse in black satin, the Edgy in black and the Misty in turquoise suede.

 

A word on the leathers. Capretto is soft kid leather and nappa is smooth and supple, so both mould to the foot within a few wears. Suede looks richer but will not stretch the same way, and patent shows every scuff.

 

What I would skip: buying the kitten heel thongs a half size up. Thongs move less than you think, and a loose one slaps at the heel.

A long night has a morning after, and Tony Bianco makes far more than evening heels. The family runs ten boutiques across Australia, and the shelves hold as many boots and flats as stilettos. These are the pairs I would pack next to the heels.

 

The Margot is a black ankle boot on a small kitten heel with a pointed toe, in a smooth leather, and it goes under a long skirt or straight jeans. The Zac is a penny loafer in espresso suede, and the Martinez is a black ballet flat with a thin strap across the foot. Then the thong sandals, which I think are the brand's strongest summer shape: the Krista in black and in tan on a flared kitten heel, the Pluto in a brown leather on an even lower one, the Topaz in black on a short block that is the steadiest of the four, and the Sally, a flat thong in espresso suede.

 

My test for a thong sandal is the toe post. Press it with your thumb before you buy. A soft, wrapped post stops rubbing after a day, and a hard seam never does.

 

What I would skip: the suede loafer in a wet week. Suede marks in the rain, so keep the Zac for dry days and wear the leather boots when it pours.

Tony Bianco has been making occasion shoes in Melbourne for more than fifty years, and the range still reads like it was designed by people who have stood at a wedding. That is the reason I would buy from it.

 

If I could pick only one pair, it would be a slingback. The back strap holds the foot in a way a mule cannot, and it keeps the clean line of a pump. The Emily is the tall version and the Samar or Darcy the gentler one. For anyone who dances, the Lover's ankle strap is the safest stiletto here. And if the night is long and the venue has stairs, choose a kitten heel and nobody will notice anything except that you are still on the dance floor.

 

On fit, Tony Bianco runs true to size, but the pointed styles have a narrow toe box, so if your feet are wide, try those a half size up. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Kitten Heels Are Back And Here's How To Wear Them and Kitten Heels and Pumps.