1957 | ANDRE' PERUGIA | THE FORECAST MODEL

1957 | André Perugia for I.Miller | The FORECAST model

Source: The New York Times

"The quietest revolution in fashion is Forecast, our new shoe by the incomparable André Perugia. Indeed, so gentle are the changes there is no shout for attention nor shok to the eye... yet what is so peacefully accomplished is the complete new triumph of proportion and grace. We can tell you about the lovely ovalling of the toe, how the heel is balanced to a hairsbreadth, that the fit across the foot is soft and thin as silk ... But as you walk in this shoe and see how tranquilly it steps free of excess and exaggeration, you'll discover for yourself that, short of custom shoemaking, there's nothing in the world like Forecast. In black after beautiful black each lined with a pale, delicious kidskin and made with infinite care in France. $39,95"

And here's the shoe, labelled Perugia Boutique, 2 Rue de la Paix, Paris

1957 | André Perugia | The FORECAST model

Black kidskin pump

Source: © Romans, musée international de la Chaussure

Photograph by Christophe Villard

__________________

ANDRE PERUGIA
D O S S I E R

__________________

1957 | Perugia Boutique

Source: © Romans, musée international de la Chaussure

Photograph by Christophe Villard

1943-1947 | ABRAHAM RATTNER [1895–1978]

1943 | Abraham Rattner

Window at Montauk Point (Oil On Canvas)

Sopurce: American Art (The Phillips Collection)

1947 | Abraham Rattner

Still Life With Shoes (Oil On Canvas)

Source: Smithsonian Institution

SHOE & ART

1942-2009

1956-1959 | ALBANESE OF ROME | THE HOUR-GLASS AND THE HULA-HOOP HEELS

Then there was another group who were much more stylish. You would get the white lipstick, really severe hair cut and they would wear polka dots, white stockings, big plastic jewellery and a very short skirt with a big wide belt on it, like a pelmet skirt. They'd wear shoes with hourglass heels and a lot of them were totally unavailable. They really were, in their own way, very stylish and part of the scene. 

Ian R. Hebditch
From: The Soul Stylists by Paolo Hewitt (Mainstream Publishing)

Of course he meant a different hourglass heel but the image of teenagers dancing to soul music and rhythm & blues, all of them with Italian shoes with actual hourglass heel is marvelous.

1960 | Albanese of Rome

Hour Glass and Hula-Hoop (background)

Source: Niagara Falls Gazette (August 16, 1959)

Even though presented as new, the Hour Glass heel belongs to the 1956 Sorelle Fontana collection designed by Dal Cò. So, how an Albanese shoe found its way into a Dal Cò collection? Most probably the link is Teresa Mezzatesta, designer at Dal Cò when she met - and later married - Enzo Albanese. The couple founded the Atelier Albanese in 1957. And the rest is (barely) known footwear history.

1956 | Dal Cò (designed by Teresa Mezzatesta) for Sorelle Fontana

Hour Glass Heel

Source: Archivio Luce

1959 | Albanese of Rome

The Hula-Hoop from the S/S collection

Source: RAI Teche

You can still see the hula hoop heels through this heavy grained picture.

1959 | Albanese of Rome

From The Citizen-Advertiser, Auburn, NY dated January 21, 1959

Also worth of note is the Hour Glass heel upgrade showcased a year later (13-01-1960).

Albanese of Rome

The iHour Glass (1960) and the Hula-Hoop (1959)

Source: Archivio Luce (Fondo VEDO)

1960 | Albanese of Rome

Apparently it was a gold watch (true story)

Source: Archivio Luce (Fondo VEDO)

FOOTNOTE

Along with the first copy of the fish-shoe, the hula-hoop appeared at A.I. Roman Inspirations (AltaRoma August 2014).

Albanese of Rome

The Hula-Hoop

At A.I. (Artisanal Intelligence)/AltaRoma | Rome August, 2014

Source: Glenn Belverio/A Shaded View On Fashion

HEELSTORY
Heel History in Pictures

Albanese Of Rome
The never ending saga of the fish-shoe

Albanese Of Rome
At The MET, NY

1943 | (YOU NEVER KNEW IT WAS A) DELMAN SANDAL AND A PERUGIA KNOCKOFF

Filed Nov. 4, 1943 | Granted Fe. 26, 1946

Inventor: HARRY L. SUTCLIFFE for Delman

Source: Google Patents

It is an object of the present invention to provide articles of footwear which can be constructed of non­critical materials such as wood, fabric and artificial leather, and which are nevertheless comfortable, durable and attractive. It has heretofore been proposed to form the soles of shoes of wood, glass plastic and other materials, providing a relatively thick rigid sole.

Harry L. Sutcliffe (Brooklyn, N. Y.)

From the patent paperwork

Original caption:

Women wearing unrationed shoe soles during the war, 1943. 

Photograph by Nina Leen

Source: LIFE

1944 | Delman at Bergdorf Goodman

Source: hPrints

Seen it before? You might from EVE'S JOURNAL (July 1938) or Vogue France (February 1938). Regrettably no actual sandal can be found from this Perugia design.

1938 | André Perugia sandals & Schiaparelli outfit

Eve's Journal, July 1938

Source: SheepAndChick

Andre Perugia's thick-soled sandals shown throughout Schiaparelli's collection. 

To my conservative taste, they look extraordinary with the day clothes, but in gold or colored kid for evening, they're exotic and quite lovely especially the bright-green ones worn with a purple dress and pink surah jacket that has Chinese-looking embroidery in bright green and purple. And in purple kid they're the perfect complement to a Chinese house coat of deep , purplish-blue surah embroidered in red, green, and gold.

New Yorker Magazine | 1938

1938 | André Perugia

Source: Vogue France, February 1938

1933 | DELMAN SHOES by Margaret Bourke-White

1934 | ERTÉ [ROMAIN DE TIRTOFF] FOR DELMAN'S SHOES | MET, NY |

1960 | THE HEEL ACCORDING TO DELMAN

FOOTNOTE

2014 | Mohop Shoes | Chicago
Source: Mohop.com

1989 - 1993 | ROBERT GOBER | UNTITLED

1990-93 | Robert Gober

Untitled (Long Leg) | Wood, leather, cotton, wax, and hair

Source: Israel Museum | Jerusalem

OK (?!)

Gober noted: “I cast my own leg out of beeswax.. . . I remembered that my mother used to work as a nurse in an operating room and she used to entertain us as kids by telling stories about the hospital. One of her first operations was an amputation and they cut off the leg and handed it to her. Stories like that made a big impact. But I also realized, looking at this sculpture of a leg that’s cut off just above the calf, that it’s the sight you see if you glance under a stall in a men’s room. You see that portion of a man’s identity, and it’s very highly charged for one reason or another.” On another occasion he recollected: “I was in this tiny little plane, sitting next to this handsome businessman and his trousers were pulled above his socks and I was transfixed in this moment by his leg. I came home knowing that I wanted to make a sculpture of that part of the leg.”

Robert Gober

Source: The Israel Museum | Jerusalem

1989-1990 | Robert Gober

Untitled

Source: Boum! Bang!

1990 | Robert Gober

Untitled | Wax, cotton, wood, leather shoe, and human hair

Source: Smithsonian Institution

1991 | Robert Gober

Untitled | Wood, beeswax, human hair, fabric, paint, shoes

Image Credit: Andrew Moore, courtesy the artist

Source:ArtBlart

SHOES

& ART

1832 - 2009

2008 | Robert Gober

Leg with Anchor

Forged iron and steel, beeswax, cotton, leather, and human hair

Image Credit: Bill Orcutt, courtesy the artist and Matthew Marks Gallery

Source: ArtBlart

1958 | ALBANESE OF ROME | THE NEVER ENDING SAGA OF THE FISH SHOE

Until the contrary is proved, this striking "fish line" from Albanese is probably the first Fish Shoe copy since the original one (1955, André Perugia).

1958 | Albanese Of Rome by Enzo Albanese

Source: The Leader-Herald, NY (Sept. 12, 1958)

1958 | Enzo Albanese for the fashion house Zincone 

Exibited in Rome (Hotel Excelsior, 07-17-1958)

Source: Archivio LUCE

1958 | Enzo Albanese for the fashion house Zincone 

Exibited in Rome (Hotel Excelsior, 07-17-1958)

Source: Archivio LUCE

1958 | Albanese (Rome)

Italian shoes as seen in the American press

Source: CNP (Comitato Nazionale per la produttività)

FOOTNOTE

A different version of the fish-shoe was showcased at the exhibition Roman Inspirations (Artisanal Intelligence/AltaRoma, August 2014) and it sports a heel that predates Roger Vivier's globe heel (1966). Or is it a replica?? Oh well, the more we learn, the less we know.

Albanese of Rome

The fish shoe with the globe heel

At A.I. (Artisanal Intelligence)/AltaRoma | Rome August, 2014

Source: Glenn Belverio/A Shaded View On Fashion

Enzo Albanese was known for elegant women's shoes and inventive heel designs (more to come).

1955 (not 1931) | André Perugia

The Original Fish Shoe
& The Beginning Of The Saga

2013/2014 | Fish Shoe Designs
The Saga Continues

LEST WE FORGET

the fish shoes from that lovely wild bunch known as The Croods (DreamWorks, 2013)

2013 | The fish shoes from The Croods

DreamWorks

2013 | The fish shoes from The Croods

DreamWorks

1952 | CAGE AND BIRDCAGE HEELS | SALVATORE V/S SALVATORE

1952 | Salvatore Cangemi | The Birdcage Heel

Filed September 26, 1952 | Granted July 26, 1955

Source: Google Patents

No actual Cangemi shoes are known in existence with such a heel. However the Canadian sandals below might have been created using the Cangemi patent, or so it seems judging by the pictures.

1952-1956 | Simpson's St. Regis (Canada)

Black suede sandals with brass wire-cage heels

Source: The Seductive Shoe by Jonathan Walford (Stewart Tabori & Chang, 2007) 

1956 | Salvatore Ferragamo

Source: A.C.S. (Archivio Centrale dello Stato)

1956 | Salvatore Ferragamo Patent

Source: A.C.S. (Archivio Centrale dello Stato)

We didn't want to spoil the Salvatore Cangemi V/S Salvatore Ferragamo angle, but Ferragamo is only the third in line after a Dutch brand called JAC. BERGMANS (from Waalwijk) as you can see from the following picture.

1953 | Jac. Bergmans | Waalwijk, Nederland

Courtesy of Inge Specht-den Boer | DL&SMuseum curator

The shoe is kept at the Dutch Leather & Shoe Museum and, as always, the info was brought to our attention by our dear friend Inge Specht-den Boer, curator of the very same institution. She ascertained the date (1953) thanks to this youtube video, a slideshow compiled by the Historical Society of Waalwijk of the shoe trade fair called S.L.E.M. (Schoen Leder en Mode, Dutch for Shoe Leather and Fashion).

1953 | Jac. Bergmans shoes at S.L.E.M. | Waalwijk, Nederland

Courtesy of Inge Specht-den Boer | DL&SMuseum curator

And then the rest. Starting from Italy's Creazioni-Mariorty Anacapa. The original caption reads: Pair of white mules with "Birdcage" stiletto heel and birds, c. 1955-60, … worn by a lady in the mid-1950's. She brought them as a novelty one summer and wore them "quite a bit until her friends had seen them."

1957 | Creazioni-Mariorty Anacapa

From the collection of the Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto

Source: Shoes by Riello & McNeil, Berg 2006

1957 | Creazioni-Mariorty Anacapa | Detail

From the collection of the Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto

In order to better identify the date a little help comes from a clip found on the British Pathé website (thank you Irenebrination). The audio says: "… from Italy comes this beach mule in leather with wooden sole …" while the related description reports: "Close up of a heel of a white mule designed to look like a cage and contains a plastic model of a monkey inside!"

1957 | Shoes Of Tomorrow

Source: British Pathé

Year unknown | Joseph La Rose | Jacksonville, Florida

Source: ebay

FOOTNOTES

Year Unknown | CHANEL

The Cangemi heel down to a T

Year Unknown | CHANEL

The Cangemi heel down to a T

2012 | Charlotte Olympia
They like birds as much as fishes.

CANGEMI SHOES
AT THE METROPOLITAN, NY

INTRODUCING
HEELSTORY
HEEL HISTORY
IN PICTURES

1966 | ARMAN | SHOES AND SHOES

1966 | ARMAN | Shoes And Shoes

Source: Smithsonian Institution

1965 | ARMAN
At The MoMA

1832-2009
Shoes & Art

THE MAGAZINE 'CALZATURE ITALIANE DI LUSSO' (ITALIAN LUXURY FOOTWEAR)

CALZATURE ITALIANE DI LUSSO magazine (Italian Luxury Footwear)

#17 - 1969 | Cover detail

CALZATURE ITALIANE DI LUSSO magazine (Italian Luxury Footwear)

Photograph: WOP

“Calzature Italiane di Lusso” fu una rivista pubblicata per un decennio, dal 1961 al 1971 e dedicata principalmente ai commercianti italiani ed esteri. Il suo nome completo la definiva una “Rassegna tecnico-commerciale della calzatura italiana di qualità”.

“Calzature Italiane di Lusso” was an Italian magazine published for a decade (from 1961 to 1971) and it was addressed to both domestic and foreign traders: a "Technical and commercial review of quality Italian footwear" as they put it.

1961 | #2 - Vol.1

CALZATURE ITALIANE DI LUSSO magazine (Italian Luxury Footwear)

Men's shoe: OLIMPIC (Legnano, Milan) | Women's: FANTIN (Varese)

Nacque in un momento di forte espansione del settore calzaturiero italiano: il primo quadrimestre del 1961 aveva registrato un aumento della produzione calzaturiera di oltre il 30% rispetto al primo quadrimestre dell’anno precedente e del 20% circa a valore. La pubblicazione fu semestrale e ne era direttore responsabile Giovanni Galliano. Ospitava una cinquantina di pagine, in formato 21x28 e la distribuzione della rivista avveniva gratuitamente ai commercianti di calzature, clienti delle ditte inserzioniste o segnalati dalle associazioni di categoria. L’iniziativa fu salutata da Callisto Bagnara, allora Presidente dell’associazione nazionale dei commercianti di calzature, come decisamente lodevole e utile per la distribuzione.

It was founded in a time of rapid growth of the Italian footwear industry: in the first four months of 1961 production increased by over 30% and about 20% in value, compared to the first quarter of the previous year. The magazine was a biannual publication, about fifty pages in the 21X28 centimeters format and distributed free of charge to footwear retailers, advertisers or distributors recommended by the footwear associations. Giovanni Galliano was the editor in chief. The initiative was defined by Callisto Bagnara, then President of the National Association of Footwear Traders, as praiseworthy and useful for the Trade.

1962 | #3 - Vol.2

CALZATURE ITALIANE DI LUSSO magazine (Italian Luxury Footwear)

Men's shoe: Fratelli ROSSETTI (PARABIAGO, MILAN)

La finalità era la promozione delle linee e dei calzaturifici allora operanti nei livelli medio-alti della produzione italiana, quelli meno legati alla produzione seriale. Per questo in genere le pagine della rivista presentano una raccolta dei modelli più eleganti o più curati dal punto di vista formale di quel decennio, presentati dai migliori nomi dei distretti produttivi di Vigevano, Parabiago, Bologna, Varese, Milano, Valenza. Tra i tanti ricordiamo Titano, Castea, Vaccari, Erco, Aldrovandi, Colette. 

It was aimed to promote the Italian design and the shoe factories operating in the medium/high range. That’s why the magazine collects the best examples of the most elegant, often handmade, shoes, from the footwear districts of Vigevano, Parabiago, Bologna, Varese, Milan, Valenza featuring brands like Titano, Castea, Vaccari, Erco, Aldrovandi and Colette.

1963 | #5 - Vol.3

CALZATURE ITALIANE DI LUSSO magazine (Italian Luxury Footwear)

Women's Shoe: AMBOLDI (Nerviano) | Men's shoe: VIBELSPORT (Cerro Maggiore)

Emergono spesso le calzature premiate con gli Oscar dell’Accademia di Torino o alcuni modelli oggi presenti nei musei. Oltre ai tanti nomi oggi purtroppo scomparsi, ritroviamo produttori ancora oggi di primissimo piano come i Fratelli Rossetti, Moreschi, Testoni, Artioli, Magli, Fratelli Fabbri.

Often featured are the "Oscars" winners awarded by the Footwear Academy of Turin and models today held at museums around the world. Many brands are now sadly gone but we can also found top manufactures still running nowadays such as Fratelli Rossetti, Moreschi, Testoni, Artioli, Magli, Fratelli Fabbri.

1963 | #6 - Vol.3

CALZATURE ITALIANE DI LUSSO magazine (Italian Luxury Footwear)

Women's Shoe: MOLASCHI (Parabiago, Milan) | Men's shoe: ELIO (Luino, Varese)

1964 | #7 - Vol.4

CALZATURE ITALIANE DI LUSSO magazine (Italian Luxury Footwear)

Men's shoe: OLIMPIC (Legnano, Milan) | Women's shoe: ERCO (Vigevano)