Salvatore Ferragamo
Hand-Raised Apron Wholecut
Euro 420

This is a most unusual model for Ferragamo or any other maker; a wholecut (any shoe who’s uppers are made from one piece of leather) but not like any other, its front embellished with a raised apron more commonly seen with a loafer. This model has not been offered by Ferragamo, to my knowledge, for more than 20 years and this shoe, evidenced by the accompanying shoes trees, appears to have first been sold by the venerable men’s haberdasher, Bullock & Jones at Union Square in San Francisco. Bullock & Jones closed their doors in 2001.
The elegant stream-lines of this shoe, the luxurious quality of leather used and, above all, the extraordinarily sleek overall design will make a dazzling appearance under your trousers. This is a personal favourite and has my highest recommendation.
Size: Marked US 8C (suitable for 7.5D)….UK 7D….Continental 40,5D or 41C.

A word about SALVATORE FERRAGAMO: Born in Naples, Italy, in 1898. He made his first pair of shoes for his sister at the age of 9. His parents were poor farmers and could not buy shoes for his sisters to go to church for their first communion. Salvatore borrowed materials from the village cobbler and made them himself. At age 14 after studying shoemaking in Naples, he opened his first shop with 6 workmen. Yet more amazingly, at the age of 16, he moved to California and opened a shoemaking shop in Santa Barbara! Unsatisfied with the beautiful but uncomfortable shoes of the era, he studied anatomy at the University of Southern California. After some experimentation, he perfected the steel arch support that he inserted into the instep of every shoe. Soon he relocated to Hollywood, where for more than 30 years he shod the whole galaxy of film stars from Lillian Gish in the silent era to Marilyn Monroe in more recent times. Greta Garbo once purchased 70 pairs of shoes in one visit to Ferragamo’s shop. His beautiful shoes filled the pages of the world’s top fashion magazines and the firm expanded tremendously into prêt-a-portez with predictable compromises. Nevertheless, in the Ferragamo firm’s “Studio Line”, their hand made, limited production, top boutique offering, his successors honour the great tradition of the old master, Salvatore, who is now cobbler to the angels.

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