Salvatore Ferragamo, who always define himself as a shoemaker (hence an artisan), but also as an inventor of entirely novel forms (hence an architect and designer, but maybe also an engineer, given his studious approach to ergonomics), and has undertaken a thorough study of anatomy of the foot to ensure the comfort of every shoe he makes. It was his idea, for example, to introduce the width measurements A, B, C, D to accommodate the typically long and narrow foot of American actresses.
Cristina MorozziSalvatore Ferragamo Fashion Unfolds (Moleskine, 2014)
Spring-Summer 1895 | MONTGOMERY WARD & CO.'S CATALOGUE
Boot And Shoe Department
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1895(Three years before Salvatore Ferragamo was born)The meaning of the different letters representing the widths on the insole of ladies's shoes are as follow: (A) extra narrow; (B) very narrow; (C) narrow; (D) medium; (E) wide; (EE) very wide. The same applies to men's shoes.Montgomery Ward Catalogue #57 - S/S 1895
FOOTNOTE
FROM THE VERY SAME CATALOGUE