Salvatore Ferragamo's passion for shoes stems from his earliest childhood and developed into a veritable calling when, at only 16 years of age, he emigrated to California and opened a shop to sell his handmade shoes in Hollywood. That was in 1914, and in just a few years the Ferragamo brand became synonymous with exclusivity and elegance in the world of the silver screen.
Rudolph Valentino and Gloria Swanson were among the big-name stars who trusted their feet to the man whose imagination didn't waver in the face of the most extravagant demands.
His creativity transformed his clients' wishes into unique and personable products.

Having earned the name "Shoemaker of the Stars", Salvatore Ferragamo decided to return to Italy to open his atelier in Palazzo Spini Feroni in Firenze, but did not renounce his adoring clientele.
In 1947, he received the Neiman Marcus Prize in Dallas, the Oscar of the fashion world.
Ferragamo's passion for his ancient craft is reflected in his adherence to a tradition which has for the most part been lost. Significant proof of this is that even today, some 40 years after the master's death, it still takes 10 days to make each pair of shoes. 5 of these are dedicated to forming the shoe, while the whole cycle involves a total of 134 steps executed one by one by skilled craftsmen.

Palazzo Spini Feroni in Florence
In addition to photos, sketches, books and the wooden shoe forms of several celebrity feet (Audrey Hepburn for one), the museum's collection comprises over 10,000 shoes, all created by Salvatore Ferragamo between the end of the 1920's to 1960, the year of his death. Each one is a work of artisan's mastery, a composite of technical skill, inventiveness and choice of materials. Each one a witness to the artists continuous synthesis with the contemporary cultural environment. After a brief closure, the Palazzo has now reopened its doors to the public with the aim of transmitting the stylist's complex creative vision. "Scarpe famose al Museo" is an exhibition dedicated to the shoes Ferragamo fashioned for film stars from Marlene Dietrich and Marilyn Monroe to Brigitte Bardot as well as for prominent individuals such as Evita Perón.

Shoemaker of the Stars
The Ferragamo universe has been, since its inception, in complete and happy synthesis with the world of the Hollywood film stars for whom he created his first shoes. This firm connection has survived the stylist's death, and current Hollywood productions often work in strict collaboration with Ferragamo, bringing the latest creations to the screen.
All fourteen pairs of shoes worn by Madonna in "Evita" were Ferragamo designs (it's a well-known fact she's a fan!), as were Drew Barrymore's Cinderella shoes in "A Love Story". In Woody Allen's "Celebrity", Melanie Griffith wears a Salvatore Ferragamo scarf and John Travolta wears elegant Ferragamo gloves in "A Civil Action". In Michael Mann's new film "The Insider", Al Pacino and Russel Crowe are decked out in pieces from the Collezione Uomo 2000. In the latest 007 film, "The World Is Not Enough", actress Judy Dench is wearing a lovely Ferragamo scarf and Pierce Brosnan, a belt. In "Bowfinger", Eddie Murphy wears unmistakably Ferragamo shoes, and in Wim Wenders' moody "Million Dollar Hotel", Mel Gibson wears both Ferragamo tie and shoes.
And the list goes on and on....
Even in "Rocky and Bullwinkle", Renée Russo's elegant bag is a Ferragamo.