WHAT ARE WEDGE-PLATFORM SHOES?
The orthopedic wedge was supposedly created by Italian footwear designer Salvatore Ferragamo in 1935. Experimenting with materials such as string and straw Ferragamo is also credited for inventing the wedge heel in 1936. Around 1937, inspired by the Italian Renaissance, Ferragamo resurrected the Chopine, or the tall platform shoe. With a shortage of materials (leather) Ferragamo utilized his creativity by adapting wood and cork into platform soles and inserting cellophane in place of straps. The cork wedge was devised via layers of Sardinian cork. Despite its cumbersome sole, the wedge served as a sturdy platform for walking and withstood wear and tear. In 1938 Ferragamo created the famous platform sandal for Judy Garland which contained layers of different colored chamois with an upper made of padded gold kid straps with a buckle. The majority of non-leather shoes were a novelty at first, and then became widely popular throughout Europe during World War II. Around 1941 platform shoes
