Are Salvatore Ferragamo shoes comfortable and who is Salvatore Ferragamo??
Salvatore Ferragamo is a luxury fashion house named after the legendary Italian designer. The label now includes ready-to-wear collections for men and women, designer shoes and handbags, leather goods and accessories, and more—all expertly crafted with high-quality materials in Italy.
The label is among the most respected names in footwear, and continues to be popular among those who value quality, timeless design, and ultimate comfort.
Who is Salvatore Ferragamo?
Originating around 1915 when Mr. Ferragamo emigrated to the United States from Italy and settled in Santa Barbara, the label has a long history in Southern California and alongside the entertainment industry. While studying at UCLA Extension, the young footwear designer had the following epiphany:
“He discovered that the weight of the body falls on the arch of the foot.
In traditional shoemaking, shoes were made to support the ball of the foot and the heel, but this did not make them more comfortable. Wouldn’t this mean, Salvatore surmised, that the arch of the foot should be supported?
Nature created the human foot with this arched shape so that it could, as in architecture, support more weight than a flat surface. However, the plantar arch went even farther, supporting weight in motion.
Like architects, Salvatore used a plumb line for his demonstrations to find the median line that runs vertically from one’s head to the arch of the foot. Inside his shoes, Salvatore inserted a steel shank to support the arch, allowing the foot to move like a pendulum. This was the discovery that paved the way to his success.”
After a design patent was approved in 1920, and Salvatore Ferragamo saw success with American customers, he returned to Florence in 1927 with the intent on creating made-in-Italy footwear with the finest materials and the rest…is the historical legacy you know today as “Salvatore Ferragamo.”
Are Salvatore Ferragamo shoes comfortable?
Yes, Salvatore Ferragamo shoes are comfortable, in fact this question was at the center of Mr. Ferragamo’s learning about human anatomy, movement, and what drove the development of his eponymous label.
Having started while enmeshed in the Hollywood scene, keenly aware of the physical challenges that come with acting, performing, and being dressed up at parties and premieres…comfort was a core selling point of a pair of Ferragamo shoes, and still is to this day.
Google Arts & Culture covered the Salvatore Ferragamo museum in Florence with this comprehensive article, where details of the man and the brand’s guiding philosophies:
“Helping people walk in comfortable shoes and feel happy was Salvatore Ferragamo’s greatest concern. But how could he do this? How could he help feet feel comfortable inside a shoe? How could he support the weight of the human body in motion while locking feet inside a pair of shoes, removed from their natural state, as man was made to walk barefoot?”
“In my shoes, [my clients] told me, they felt differently. In mine they could walk without suffering, which is surely no more than the function of shoes. In my shoes they were happy.”
Salvatore Ferragamo on italist
Discover an impressive selection of Salvatore Ferragamo footwear, apparel, and accessories for women at italist, and save up to 40% before any discounts.
We also carry the full range of Salvatore Ferragamo footwear, apparel, and accessories for men with the same great savings off your local retail pricing.
About the Author
Alex English is the Head of Content Marketing at italist.com, building on a lifelong passion for fashion and luxury. After publishing a lifestyle blog for nearly ten years and obtaining an MBA in Milan at SDA Bocconi, one of Europe’s top business schools, he joined the italist team in 2019. His work since then has focused on upper-funnel messaging, brand storytelling, establishing italist as a thought leader in the space, and enriching the customer experience on the platform. Find him on LinkedIn.