The story behind Marilyn Monroe’s beloved Ferragamo pumps

By Emily Chan

When Maximilian Davis took the helm at Ferragamo, he looked to the Italian brand's famous Marilyn shoes – the red Swarovski-encrusted pumps created for Marilyn Monroe by the shoemaker for her 1960 film Let's Make Love – for inspiration. Indeed, the fashion house's new signature red draws from the heels, as well as the flag of Trinidad and Tobago, reflecting Davis's heritage.

The heels epitomise Marilyn Monroe's long-standing relationship with Salvatore Ferragamo – "the shoemaker of dreams" – whom the actor helped make famous. The 5ft 3inch star began buying her heels from the brand's store on New York's Park Avenue after moving to the city in 1954, as well as ordering directly from the brand.

Marilyn Monroe wearing Ferragamo's Viatica pumps on the set of Some Like It Hot.

The actor would wear Ferragamo's four-inch stiletto heels both on and off-screen, with the sleek Filetia and Viatica pumps (the latter of which were worn by the star in 1959 film Some Like It Hot) being her favourites. To ensure the shoes were comfortable, Ferragamo patented a new heel especially for Marilyn Monroe that was half wood and half steel. Whether paired with a bombshell dress or a shirt and Capri pants while off-duty, the ivory and beige versions were a key staple in her wardrobe.

Many of Monroe's shoes are now safely in the hands of the Ferragamo archive: the actor's red crystal pumps were purchased for a staggering $48,300 (£43,000) at a Christie's auction in 1999. In 2012, the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo held a major retrospective dedicated to Monroe, 50 years after her death, featuring 30 pairs of shoes alongside some of the star's most famous outfits.

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Monroe pictured in her trademark Ferragamo pumps in 1955.

Despite the fact that Ferragamo and Monroe never met in person, their special relationship is undeniable. The shoemaker thought of the actor as a "Venus" – because of her size 6 feet. "Venus is usually of great beauty, glamour, and sophistication, yet under her glittering exterior she is often essentially a home body loving the simple things of life," he wrote in his autobiography, originally published in 1957. "Because these two characteristics are mutually contradictory, the Venus is often misunderstood. People accuse her of too much luxury loving and frivolity."

One thing's for sure: Monroe's love of luxury turned Ferragamo into a household name. As for Marilyn, who famously said "Give the girl the right pair of shoes and she’ll conquer the world" – her beloved Ferragamo heels allowed her to do exactly that.

Article originally published on vogue.com

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