From stylish sandals to killer heels to flirty flats, designer Sam Edelman has made his mark on the shoe world.
Remember the Gladiator sandal explosion? He gets the credit for starting it. Halle Berry, Julia Roberts and Jennifer Lopez have all been snapped wearing Edelman’s shoes.
The legendary designer is also the Sam in the Sam & Libby footwear line he launched with his wife, Libby Bianchi. (The couple sold the line in 1996.)
We cooled our heels recently with the shoe designer to talk about (what else?) shoes.
Cloe Cabrera: You’re in town (Tampa, Florida) to give women advice on how to pick shoes for their style. Any tips?
Sam Edelman: A women’s personal style can be mixed and matched any way she chooses. There’s a mixing of cultures we’re seeing today. A motorcycle jacket can be teamed with a vintage blouse; a great skirt can be put together with a pair of leggings and look great. You can be half military, half school teacher. There are really no rules. It’s whatever you’re comfortable in.
CC: It’s the holiday season. What shoes should women wear to those festive holiday soirees?
SE: I like platform shoes with jewels on the outside.
CC: Platform? I’m a 6-footer. How high are we talking?
SE: Medium-high; around 3 to 4 inches. The platform balances the height, so you don’t fee like you’re teetering. And the No. 1 color is always black. Black snakeskin, black leather, black suede. And I still love the pointy-toe flats for the holidays with some jewelry. My favorite shoe is the Iceland, and that’s a flat.
CC: What type of women do you design your shoes for?
SE: My customer loves skinny jeans, leggings, short dresses. My customer follows celebrity trends. They’re influenced by what actresses and singers are wearing. They watch reality shows like “Project Runway” and the Kardashian girls.
CC: You’re credited for creating the Gladiator sandal craze. Did you know the style would explode the way it did?
SE: I knew it. I shipped a million pairs and they exploded. We’ve done this for 30 years. We know how to pick ‘em. I shipped over-the-knee boots before anyone. They were sold out by the end of August. I started the ballerina craze in the ‘80s. We’re trendsetters. We have a history of it. We were just voted brand of the year by our industry. We don’t have a bad shoe.
CC: So where does this trendsetting shoe inspiration come from?
SE: Libby and I travel the world. We’re designers, so we think about it every day and night. I don’t watch football on Sundays; I read fashion magazines. We shop vintage stores, watch old movies, look at Chanel in the ‘60s, the streets in Europe. We find ideas and mix and match them with our taste level.
CC: Since we can’t all wear the newest shoe trends, what shoe should every women, regardless of her age, have in her closet?
SE: A ballerina flat. Every woman needs a ballerina flat and needs to buy a new pair every three or four months. Whether she’s short, tall, young, old, fat or thin, she needs a ballerina flat. She needs them in pewter, black suede, navy leather. Whatever she can get her hands on.
CC: Any shoe trends women should give up?
SE: No. I love fashion.
Cloe Cabrera is a writer with Media General News Service in Tampa, Florida
