Salvatore Ferragamo (5 June 1898 – 7 August 1960) was an Italian shoe designer and the founder of the eponymous brand, who became one of the first to experiment with such unusual for those times materials as kangaroo, crocodile, and fish leather.
Ferragamo was born in the Italian village of Bonito, being the eleventh of his parents’ 14 children. The Ferragamo family eked out such a poor existence that sometimes they had to starve for several days, so there was no question of buying new clothes and shoes. Salvatore, who dreamed of becoming a shoemaker from early childhood, began making shoes for his sisters with his own hands.
Ferragamo managed to sew his first wearable pair of shoes at the age of nine. When turning 11 years old, young Ferragamo was already training as a shoemaker in Naples, and in 1914 he moved to Boston, Massachusetts, where his brother worked at a factory producing cowboy boots. In early 1920, after having settled in the United States, Ferragamo convinced part of his family to join him in California. First it was Santa Barbara and then – Hollywood. The first store of Ferragamo opened its doors in Hollywood, repairing and making custom shoes. Most of his clients were people from the movie and photography industries.
The fame of the “star shoemaker” spread quite quickly, and in 1923 Ferragamo already began creating unique, eye-catching shoes and boots for Rudolph Valentino, Mary Pickford and other celebrities. However, Ferragamo’s shoes at that time had a big disadvantage – they looked amazing, but in terms of comfort they were almost impossible to wear because the material rubbed and squeezed the legs. By that time, Ferragamo had only basic knowledge and no professional education at all. When clients started to refuse from buying his shoes in an attempt to save their legs from pain, the designer decided it was the time to receive an additional education, and enrolled in anatomy, mathematics and engineering course at the University of Southern California.
As to the designer’s personal life, he was married only once, on Wanda Miletti. After his death, it was she who served as chairman of the board of directors until her own death in 2018. Salvatore and Wanda raised six children – Fiamma, Giovanna, Fulvia, Ferruccio, Massimo and Leonardo. All of them at different times headed “Ferragamo” brand or were involved into its shoe design.
After spending 13 years in the United States, Salvatore Ferragamo decided to return to his native Italy in 1927. Florence became his new home, and his shoes became more and more popular, with such famous clients as, for example, the actress Marilyn Monroe.
In 1933, Ferragamo was on the verge of bankruptcy, but by 1950 he managed to restore the business, even increasing the number of employees to 700 experienced shoemakers, who handcrafted 350 pairs of shoes daily.
The knowledge that Ferragamo gained at the University of Southern California made his shoes more comfortable. The designer was the first to think of placing a steel shank inside of the shoe, which supported the plantar arch, enabling the foot to move like an inverted pendulum. He also figured out how to move the heel toward the middle or make it wedge-shaped without sacrificing comfort.
In 1940, there came a time of shortage of materials in the country, since the best materials were sent to the needs of soldiers, so the designer had to create shoes from scrap materials. This is how the legendary sandals with cork soles appeared.
Salvatore Ferragamo passed away on August 7, 1960, barely celebrating his 62nd birthday. The cause of death was heart failure. However, the “Ferragamo” brand continues to exist to this day, managed by the children of the famous designer.
The post Salvatore Ferragamo appeared first on The Fashiongton Post.