Famolare

Famolare was a footwear company founded in 1969 by Joe Famolare Jr. in the United States. Based in New York City, the company developed a distinctive identity around footwear designed to absorb the shock of walking. Its signature construction was a thick, undulating sole marketed as the “four-wave platform,” a visual and functional feature that differentiated Famolare shoes from conventional flat-soled footwear and became central to the brand’s recognition. The company occupied a notable position in American fashion footwear during the 1970s. Stanley Marcus of Neiman Marcus described Famolare as one of the most consistent or popular luxury names in footwear, placing it among familiar high-end consumer brands of the period. Famolare’s products were manufactured in Florence, Italy, while the company maintained offices in the United States, Switzerland, and New Zealand, indicating an international production and distribution structure despite its American base. Famolare’s designs included platform shoes, clogs, sandals, and other fashion-oriented styles. Several examples were later preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, including the “Violin” shoe from 1971, clogs dated to 1973, and sandals from 1975. Their presence in the museum’s collection reflects the importance of Famolare’s sculptural soles and expressive forms within the design history of twentieth-century footwear. Advertising was another important part of the brand’s public identity. During the 1970s, Famolare ran provocative campaigns that sometimes depicted nude women wearing only the company’s shoes. In the 1980s, the company changed direction and adopted less sexualized advertising. Ms. Magazine recognized this shift in 1981 by awarding Famolare its Liberty Award for non-sexist advertising. The episode illustrates a broader change in the brand’s communication strategy, from attention-seeking fashion imagery toward advertising that was viewed as more respectful of women. Famolare was active for several years before entering a hiatus. By the 1990s, some Famolare styles were available through mail-order distribution. The available historical record does not establish a definitive current operating status, later ownership, or a confirmed date of permanent closure. Famolare is therefore best understood as a historically significant footwear label whose legacy rests on its patented wave sole, Italian manufacturing, distinctive 1970s designs, and documented place in museum collections.

Famolare was established in 1969 by Joe Famolare Jr. as a footwear company headquartered in New York City. From the outset, the brand emphasized a technical and visual distinction: its shoes used a thick, undulating sole intended to absorb the shock of walking. Famolare named this construction the “four-wave platform” and patented the sole design. The wave profile gave the shoes a recognizable silhouette while also providing the central functional claim around which the brand was built. During the 1970s, Famolare developed a reputation in American fashion footwear. Its products were positioned at the luxury end of the market, and Stanley Marcus of Neiman Marcus characterized the company as an especially consistent or popular footwear name. Famolare’s manufacturing took place in Florence, Italy, a location associated with high-quality shoe production, while offices operated in the United States, Switzerland, and New Zealand. This combination of American brand management, Italian production, and overseas offices gave the company an international commercial footprint. The brand’s product range included platform shoes, clogs, sandals, and related fashion footwear. Famolare’s design language was particularly evident in its substantial, sculptural soles. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York preserved multiple Famolare examples, including a “Violin” shoe dated 1971, a pair of clogs dated 1973, and a pair of sandals dated 1975. These objects document the company’s contribution to the experimental and visually assertive footwear design of the period. Famolare also attracted attention through its advertising. Some 1970s advertisements used nude female models wearing only Famolare shoes, a provocative approach intended to draw attention to the product and its fashion identity. The company later reversed this direction during the 1980s. In 1981, Ms. Magazine gave Famolare its Liberty Award for “non-sexist advertisement,” recognizing the change in tone and the company’s move away from sexualized presentation. The company remained active for several years before entering a hiatus. By the 1990s, Famolare footwear was available through mail-order channels, suggesting that the brand retained some commercial presence after its earlier department-store and luxury-fashion visibility. The available references do not provide a confirmed date for permanent closure, a later corporate owner, or evidence of a current operating business. Famolare’s present status is consequently uncertain. Its documented historical importance comes from the patented four-wave sole, its Florence manufacturing connection, its international offices, its fashion advertising, and the preservation of several designs by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

• 1990

  Famolare footwear is available by mail order

  [1]Famolareen.wikipedia.org

  By the 1990s, several Famolare styles were being offered through mail-order distribution.

• 1981

  Advertising receives Ms. Magazine recognition

  [1]Famolareen.wikipedia.org

  Ms. Magazine awarded Famolare its Liberty Award for non-sexist advertising after the company changed direction from earlier provocative campaigns.

• 1975

  Famolare sandals are documented in museum holdings

  [1]Famolareen.wikipedia.org

  A pair of Famolare sandals dated to 1975 was preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

• 1973

  Famolare clogs are documented in museum holdings

  [1]Famolareen.wikipedia.org

  A pair of Famolare clogs dated to 1973 was preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

• 1971

  The Violin shoe is created

  [1]Famolareen.wikipedia.org

  A Famolare design known as the “Violin” shoe was created and is now represented in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s footwear holdings.

• 1969

  Famolare is founded

  [1]Famolareen.wikipedia.org

  Joe Famolare Jr. founded the footwear company in the United States, with headquarters in New York City.

Fashion-oriented luxury footwear distinguished by sculptural, shock-absorbing wave soles and expressive advertising.

• Platform footwear · 1969

  Four-wave platform footwear

  Famolare’s defining product format used a thick, wavy sole known as the four-wave platform. The company patented the sole, which was intended to absorb the shock of walking and also supplied the brand’s distinctive visual identity. The construction appeared across several fashion footwear categories rather than being limited to one specific shoe type.

• Fashion shoe · 1971

  Violin shoe

  The Violin is a Famolare shoe dated to 1971 and preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It represents the brand’s sculptural approach to footwear design, in which the form of the shoe and its substantial sole were prominent parts of the product’s identity.

• Clogs · 1973

  Famolare clogs

  Famolare produced clog styles during the 1970s. A pair dated to 1973 is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, providing a documented example of how the company applied its platform and sculptural design vocabulary to clog footwear.

• Sandals · 1975

  Famolare sandals

  Famolare’s sandal range included substantial, fashion-oriented forms consistent with the company’s wave-sole identity. A pair dated to 1975 is preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, documenting the brand’s sandal design during its 1970s period of visibility.

• 1981Non-sexist advertising shift

  United States

  Famolare changed its advertising approach during the 1980s, moving away from the sexualized imagery associated with some earlier campaigns.

  Outcome. Ms. Magazine recognized the revised approach with its 1981 Liberty Award for non-sexist advertising.

  Source
• 1970Provocative footwear advertising

  United States

  Famolare used provocative advertisements in the 1970s, including imagery of nude women wearing only the company’s shoes. The campaigns emphasized attention-grabbing fashion presentation rather than solely describing the technical qualities of the sole.

  Outcome. The company later abandoned this advertising direction during the 1980s.

  Source

• 1980

  Famolare changes its advertising strategyStrategy

  Background

  Earlier Famolare advertising had used provocative images, including nude women wearing the company’s shoes.

  Action taken

  The company reversed course during the 1980s and adopted advertising presented as non-sexist.

  Aftermath

  Ms. Magazine gave Famolare its 1981 Liberty Award for non-sexist advertising.

  Source

1. 1Famolareen.wikipedia.org