The Dream
Salvatore fell in love with making shoes at age 9 when he created a pair of high heels for his sister’s Confirmation. Since then, he made it his mission to make comfortable and good-looking shoes. We don’t know about you, but this guy sounds to us like he grew up in a house full of women. He even went so far as to study Anatomy at university to give himself the utmost knowledge to create his dream shoes. That’s some dedication right there. And guess what? It paid off.
To America and Back
Salvatore made his way over to America in 1915 where he worked briefly at a cowboy boot-making factory along with his brother. Eventually, he convinced his brothers to move with him to Hollywood. From there, Salvatore went on to design shoes for the film industry, and it was here that he took up studying anatomy. After many successful years in America, he returned to Florence in 1927.
After some financial difficulties, by the 1950s Salvatore’s shoe store had amassed 700 workers who produced 350 pairs of shoes every day, all by hand. If you’re thinking that’s impressive, you’re right. That was virtually unheard of for the time, and maybe even still today (barring, you know, slave labor).
Leaving a Family Legacy
The Ferragamo brand was one of the first shoe companies to use crocodile skin, kidskin, and even kangaroo and fish skins. This was born out of a need to find materials that weren’t being rationed during the Second World War, but it paved the way for designers to experiment in the future. Ferragamo passed away at the relatively young age of 62, leaving behind his wife and their six children. On his deathbed, Salvatore implored his family to carry on his business, and they certainly did. His children have expanded the Ferragamo shoe brand into an empire, and the company remains true to the values and work ethic set forth by its founder.