As soon as the Saks Fifth Avenue exclusive run its course, the sculptured heel collection was showcased everywhere. Or at least part of it; it seems, judging by the newspaper clippings, that only two heels survived out of (the fantastic) four designed/sculpted by Ivo Barbaresi, the CASSIDA and the GEO.
Caption:
Ferragamo models. From left: black and white patent leather sandal with hole in heel; model called "Talimera" with heel and arch assembly; mat white satin shoe with encrusted heel.
Source: La Stampa daily, Turin | September 6, 1969
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Black calfskin and white kid with Cassida heel
© Salvatore Ferragamo S.P.A.
Source: Archivi della Moda del Nocecento
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An Italian Toehold
San Francisco Chronicle | October 17, 1969
Source: Archivi della Moda del Nocecento
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Caption:
RED AND WHITE naplak is used in a clog-like open shoe with oval open heel; beige patent has black patent binding with gold eyelets and buckle.
San Francisco Chronicle | October 17, 1969
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2000 | TARUNG sandal | Ferragamo
Designed by Massimo Rigucci
Source: Archivi della Moda del Nocecento
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The Ferragamo Y2K Bug
The CASSIDA heel went into oblivion until the year 2000 when someone got the idea to resurrect it with a new twist. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so we can just say it's plain ugly. And short-lived.
More recently though, the CASSIDA lived a second life in a limited edition of 500 pairs currently out of stock at Ferragamo. We love it when these kind of things happen (not being out of stock, that is), however the misleading "winner of the 1967 Neiman Marcus award" stuck. Moreover, while they drop it, we root for another CASSIDA edition (even LTD would do it).
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The Pleja model with Cassida heel | LTD edition of 500 | Detail
White Pontovo (Synthetic raffia), white calfskin
© Salvatore Ferragamo S.P.A.
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UPDATE OCTOBER 20, 2015
The Fiamma Ferragamo page at ferragamo.com amended the wrong info and correctly placed the model Kalioscia as part of the Neiman Marcus winning collection; however, the online shop description of the Pleja remained untouched.
THE NEIMAN-MARCUS AWARD AND THE CASSIDA HEEL
1968 | IVO BARBARESI FOR FERRAGAMO
THE SCULPTURED HEEL COLLECTION FOR SAKS FIFTH AVENUE
1947 | SALVATORE FERRAGAMO
NEIMAN-MARCUS FASHION AWARD | DALLAS
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The Pleja model with Cassida heel | LTD edition of 500 pcs
White Pontovo (Synthetic raffia), white calfskin
© Salvatore Ferragamo S.P.A.
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