Stuart A. Weitzman American shoe designer Country: USA

1. American Shoe Designer Stuart Weitzman
2. Biography of Stuart Weitzman
3. Celebrities and 'Million Dollar Shoes'

American Shoe Designer Stuart Weitzman

Stuart Weitzman is an American shoe designer and the founder of the international shoe company, Stuart Weitzman, which produces high-class footwear and sells them in 45 countries worldwide. Known for his use of unique materials such as cork, vinyl, organic glass, wallpaper, 24-karat gold, and diamond dust, Weitzman's shoes are displayed in museums in special alarmed capsules. His attention to detail has earned him and his company a large fan base across the globe. However, the designer claims that his main inspiration comes from caring for the comfort of women's feet.

Biography of Stuart Weitzman

Stuart Weitzman was born in 1942. In the late 1950s, his father, Seymour Weitzman, opened a shoe factory in Haverhill, Massachusetts, a historic city that played a significant role in America's fight for independence. The factory sold shoes under the labels 'Seymour Shoes' and 'Mr. Seymour.' Intrigued by the family business, Stuart began designing new shoe models at his father's factory when he was just 20 years old. He graduated from George W. Hewlett High School in 1958 and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1963.

When Seymour Weitzman passed away in 1965, Stuart took over the management of the factory, sharing it with his older brother, Warren Weitzman. Eventually, in 1972, they sold the business to a company from Spain, but Stuart continued to design shoes for the new company. In 1994, he repurchased the enterprise and to this day continues to produce his shoes in Spain. Stuart Weitzman is married to Jane Weitzman, and together they raise several children.

Celebrities and 'Million Dollar Shoes'

Among the celebrities who prefer Stuart Weitzman shoes are young actress Selena Gomez, socialite Paris Hilton, singers Beyoncé Knowles and Mariah Carey, and Hollywood stars Melanie Griffith, Charlize Theron, and Sandra Bullock. Since 2002, Weitzman has been showcasing his one-of-a-kind 'million-dollar shoes' for Oscar Award nominees, which can be worn to the award ceremony. For the 2007 Academy Awards, shoes were designed and provided to screenwriter Diablo Cody, the author of the Academy Award-winning film "Juno." However, Cody refused to wear them, stating that she was not interested in the associated publicity that comes with wearing such extravagant footwear.