1952 | ANDRE PERUGIA | HEELSTORY


This is a serious contender of the most beautiful sandal in the world. Designed at the same time, it’s another stroke of genius in the series of Perugia’s metal heel.


1952 | André Perugia
Arched metal heel | Patent paperwork
Filed March 14, 1952 | Patented May 27, 1952
Source: Google Patents


Unfortunately, unless hidden in the vault of Romans’ Museum de la Chaussure, no actual Perugia shoe can be found with such a heel. It comes to our rescue Robert Clergerie with a 2007 sandal that employ the very same arched metal heel.



1952 | André Perugia
Arched metal heel | Patent paperwork
2007 | Robert Clergerie
Source: Shoes A-Z by Jonathan Walford (Thames 7 Hudson, 2010)


We insist calling this practise stealing, but at least Robert Clergerie ALWAYS acknowledged André Perugia as his master in many interviews.




HERITAGE (THEY CALLED IT)

“Discover the MABELA, sock boot on our exclusive metal heel.”
CLERGERIE
From the official Clergerie Instagram page (August 28, 2018)



2018 | Clergerie | SS 2019
Enjoy the “exclusive metal heel”
Source: Clergerie Instagram page


Robert Clergerie (the man) is no longer part of Clergerie (the brand): however the new brand employ the same tactic, but without due credit where credit is due.

“The exclusive metal heel” was feed to costume/fæshon journalists as part of the Clergerie archive, and they fell for it (see last picture down here). Brilliant.



ANDRE PERUGIA


Well, it’s nothing new, isn’ it? Every season there’s someone who invent a Perugia heel somewhere. More recently here and here.


“The arched heel inspired by the archive”
Whose archive?
Source: Corriere della Sera daily | September 27, 2018


 

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