Why Salvatore Ferragamo’s Sandals Are True Forever Pieces

Yet, it is impossible to speak about Ferragamo and not delight in the brand’s rich history. Born in Italy in 1898, Salvatore Ferragamo trained in the art of shoemaking and then set his sights on the United States. While living in California, Ferragamo began supplying shoes to Hollywood movie sets, and his focus on functionality as well as beauty flourished. Indeed, his desire to create designs that not only looked divine but were easy to wear led him to studying anatomy at the University of Southern California, and – having discovered the secret to the perfect fit – his collaboration with the movie industry and its stars grew exponentially. As well as designing rainbow-hued platforms for Judy Garland and ballet flats for Audrey Hepburn, one of his most iconic pairs of shoes was a white strappy stiletto, which Marilyn Monroe wore in the 1955 hit The Seven Year Itch.

Today, drawing on Ferragamo’s vast design heritage, the SS22 collection finds inspiration in “a material mid-century mix of 1960s and 1970s cinema… as well as the functionality of workwear”. Naturally, the shoes follow suit, offering a timeless elegance and real-world wearability. House classics are revisited through a modern lens. Made from supple leather, a pair of sleek flat sandals bearing the signature ‘Gancini’ hardware (a spherical logo inspired by the iron gates of the Palazzo Spini Feroni in Florence, and hooks used for attaching horse’s holsters) are destined to be worn on repeat – simply pair with swishy skirts, jeans rolled once at the hem or chic shorts.