Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A.
Established 1928Founded in 1928 by Salvatore Ferragamo, Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A. is an Italian luxury goods company, with headquarters in Florence, specializing in shoes and leather goods. Salvatore Ferragamo emigrated to Boston and then California in 1914. He opened the Hollywood Boot Shop in 1923, and made shoes for movie stars such as Joan Crawford and Gloria Swanson. He returned to Italy and set up a shoe shop in Florence in 1928. Throughout its history, Ferragamo has been known for innovative designs and use of materials. His Vara pump also features on Wikiconic.
Ferragamo invented the wedge shoe in the 1940s out of necessity. Due to economic sanctions against Italy, Ferragamo could no longer purchase steel for his traditional heels. He began to experiment with Sardinian cork and came up with a design where the entire space between the sole and the heel was blocked solid. The wedge was born and, after only a few weeks, it became one of the most popular styles. The Duchess Visconti di Modrone had the honour of launching the first pair.
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