Maximilian Davis Updates Ferragamo’s Iconic Rainbow Platform Sandals
Stephen Garner
Senior Editor
One of Salvatore Ferragamo’s most iconic styles is getting an update.
The Italian luxury house has released the latest version of its signature Rainbow Platform Sandal as part of its pre-fall 2023 collection.
Reinterpreted by creative director Maximilian Davis, the shoe is a monochrome satin mule that repurposes and enhances the shape of the original wedge with vibrant shades of green, bubble-gum pink and Ferragamo red, as well as in black and gold. The new upper features two padded bands forming an origami-inspired knot.
Credited as the inventor of the wedge, Salvatore Ferragamo’s knowledge of human anatomy and understanding of color and material enabled the innovator to design shoes that were both comfortable and striking. American actress, singer and dancer, Judy Garland took notice of his craft, prompting Ferragamo to create one of the most celebrated designs of his career.
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In 1938, Salvatore introduced the Rainbow Sandal. The original design was produced in kidskin leather with a layered cork sole and featured a towering platform heel covered in rows of colorful suede, exclusively for Garland.
The original model, preserved in the Ferragamo archive in Florence, is recognized as a cult object in the history of footwear, which, over the decades, has inspired creatives from all over the world, becoming a collector’s item.
Rainbow takes its name from the multi-colored wedge of the archive model characterized by exaggerated and boldly daring proportions for that time.
Salvatore Ferragamo’s latest Rainbow Platform Sandal is now available for $1,990 at Ferragamo.com.
This launch is the latest from the Italian luxury brand as it finds itself in a “transitional phase.” In April, Ferragamo CEO and GM Marco Gobbetti said during a call with analysts that 2022 was a building year in which the company started its strategic refocusing, while 2023 marks a transition period.
In the first quarter of 2023, net sales amounted to 278 million euros, a 4 percent decline compared with 289.4 million euros in the same period last year.
“In 2023 we started the progressive deployment of our new product offer and the first products designed by our new creative director, Maximilian Davis, arrived in our stores in February, so the limited quantities of new products are not yet sufficient to positively impact the trading in this phase of the transition,” said Gobbetti at the time.
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