Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A.

Salvatore Ferragamo (5 June 1898 – 7 August 1960) was an Italian shoe designer and the founder of luxury goods high-end retailer Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A. Salvatore Ferragamo emigrated from southern Italy to the US, first to Boston and then California in 1914. He opened the Hollywood Boot Shop in 1923 and made shoes for movie stars. He was experimenting with materials including kangaroo, crocodile, and fish skin.

The company is owned by the Ferragamo family, which in November 2006 included Salvatore's widow Wanda, five children, 23 grandchildren and other relatives. There is a rule that only three members of the family can work at the company, prompting fierce competition.