The Valentino Rockstud Gets a Chic Reboot

Valentino debuts Rockstud campaign for 2026. Photo: Johnny Dufort / Valentino
The Rockstud is back, and Alessandro Michele is not easing it in. For pre-fall 2026, Valentino returns to its signature pyramid stud pump with a silhouette sharpened since the shoe’s 2010 debut.

Valentino Rockstud 2026 Campaign

It features pointed cage-style toes, ankle straps, red insoles, and polished finishes that catch every angle of light. Johnny Dufort shoots the campaign in Rome, placing the shoes against ancient fountains, carved marble, and turquoise water.

The setting does something specific. It makes the Rockstud feel native to the city that produced all that stone and grandeur in the first place. An icy blue pump gets photographed near a fountain. Bright green heels are captured against warm travertine. Pale studded stilettos also sit beside a marble figure.

The Valentino looks around them are stacked up Italian summer at its most baroque: a plush golden coat, lace shorts, soft pink layers, bare legs in full sun. The collection also extends into strappy sandals and flats, widening the Rockstud universe past the stiletto