Tod's traces back to a family shoemaking workshop that Filippo Della Valle ran in Italy's Marche region in the 1920s, a part of the country that has made fine leather footwear for generations. His grandson Diego Della Valle joined the business in 1975 and pushed it from a private workshop into a proper manufacturer, and in 1979 he introduced the Gommino, a soft driving loafer with 133 rubber pebbles set into the sole. That same practical construction logic still shows up as the shapes get heavier.

The Win Gomm 84L suede ankle boots keep the brand's rubber-pebbled sole idea but raise it into a proper ankle boot rather than a driving shoe. The Gomma embellished leather knee boots go furthest from that original driving shoe, trading the low shape for real height and a decorated shaft, and the Gomma suede Chelsea boots sit somewhere between the two, practical but a little dressier.

Tod's carried its handcraft logic from shoes into bags without diluting it. The Bauletto textured-leather tote keeps a structured, boxy shape that holds its form whether it is full or nearly empty. The Tracollina leather shoulder bag takes the opposite approach, a softer, slimmer silhouette built for everyday carry rather than a rigid frame. The Apa Secchiello piccolo suede shoulder bag sits between the two, structured but soft to the touch. Hardware across the range stays restrained, letting the leather and the construction carry a whole look without announcing the brand name.

The Gommino that Diego Della Valle introduced in 1979 was a soft driving loafer with 133 rubber pebbles set into the sole, a small detail that became the brand's signature. The Gommino suede loafers still carry that same pebbled sole and unstructured, foldable build decades later. The Suede ballet flats take the same flexible, low-profile logic and apply it to a completely different shape, prioritizing that same close-to-the-ground comfort over any hardware. The Suede-trimmed sneakers borrow the same soft construction rather than a stiffer, more formal one. The pebbled sole is really the through line connecting a driving shoe to a sneaker.

Tod's is strongest when the material is left to make the case rather than any logo or hardware doing the talking. The pebbled sole on the Gommino is the most genuinely clever idea in the whole range, and it shows up in shapes well beyond the original driving loafer. The bags reward the same patience, since suede and leather both look better after they have been carried for a while rather than straight out of the box. Boots are the place to spend attention on construction, since a heavier silhouette needs practical details to hold it up. I would choose the pair or the bag I would actually use often enough for the leather to turn personal, since that repeated use is where this house earns its reputation.