How Pope Francis’ humble footwear became a symbol of pride in his Buenos Aires neighborhood

Pope Francis’ ordinary shoes bring pride to his Argentine neighborhood, and his cobbler

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina. In the heart of the Flores neighborhood in western Buenos Aires, a small cobbler’s shop has suddenly become a place of pilgrimage, not for its luxury, but for its simplicity. As tributes continue to pour in following the death of Pope Francis, one unlikely item has captured global attention: his humble, black leather shoes.

Unlike the ornate red slippers worn by his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, Francis’ simple footwear has long stood as a symbol of his humility. The plain loafers, purchased from a family-run store called Muglia Shoes, have become an emblem of the pope’s roots, and of his enduring bond with his community.

From Local Priest to Global Icon

Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio to Italian immigrant parents, had been a regular customer at Muglia Shoes since his days as a Jesuit priest at the nearby Basilica of San José de Flores.

“My father, my grandfather, they told me stories about how Father Jorge came from the church around the corner to buy these shoes, they were the ones he liked, he wore them all the time,” said Juan Jose Muglia, the 52-year-old third-generation cobbler now running the shop. “They’re simple, it’s the kind of shoes that waiters like to wear today. They can last you years and years.”

The Muglia family’s shoe business, established in 1945, became the go-to place for Francis, even after he rose through the ranks of the Catholic Church. The loafers, now priced at around $170 due to Argentina’s runaway inflation, have been sought after by priests from across the city — and even young clergy visiting from Rome.

“Priests came here from all the basilicas in the city, some young priests even came from Rome to buy them,” Muglia recalled.

A Humble Choice Amid Papal Tradition

When Francis became pope in 2013, Muglia offered to send him a new pair of his favorite shoes to the Vatican. But Francis declined.

“He told me, his feet had become too swollen in his old age and he needed something more customized for Rome,” Muglia said.

Rather than don the traditional red velvet or silk papal slippers, Francis remained true to his identity. He wore ordinary black shoes with orthopedic soles — continuing a break from papal opulence that resonated deeply with Catholics around the world. Esquire Magazine once dubbed Benedict XVI “Accessorizer of the Year” for his crimson shoes, prompting speculation about their designer. In contrast, Francis remained steadfast in his minimalist approach.

Flores Mourns One of Its Own

The news of Francis’ death on Monday at the age of 88 sent a wave of emotion through the Flores neighborhood. While the foot traffic at Muglia Shoes has surged with visitors and curious customers, locals recall the man behind the shoes as much more than a pope.

“It was a world of people,” Muglia said. “They came from everywhere.”

At a newsstand nearby, 69-year-old vendor Antonio Plastina fondly remembered Francis’ weekly visits. “We made small talk like any two Argentines, a bit of this and that, some politics mixed with soccer,” he said, his eyes misting. Even after becoming archbishop and cardinal, Bergoglio continued to visit Flores every Sunday, reading the news with a cup of coffee at a corner café that’s now a mattress shop.

Flowers and handwritten notes now adorn the barred windows of Membrillar 531 — the modest home where Francis grew up as the eldest of five children. Alicia Gigante, 91, a longtime neighbor and family friend, stopped by on Thursday morning with her daughter for support.

“My vision is going but my memory is long,” she said softly. “I’ll remember him for a long time, always his kindness, his smile, and that greeting, when you rang the doorbell and he came out into the street. There he was, always the same, he would caress you and bless you.”

As the world bids farewell to Pope Francis, it is perhaps the story of his shoes, handmade in Flores, worn with devotion, that best reflects the enduring simplicity of a man who walked with the people, in every sense of the word.