LOS ANGELES, Jan 9, 2006/ FW/ --- ‘Shoemaker To The Stars,’ inventor of the wedge shoe, invisible sandal and the metal-reinforced stiletto heels, Salvatore Ferragamo’s place in the annals of fashion history is undisputed.

And on, Oct 8, 2006, another honor will be bestowed him posthumously, the ‘Rodeo Drive Walk of Style® Award, given to style legends whose contributions to the worlds of fashion and entertainment are extraordinary.

In a special ceremony on the evening of Sunday, October 8, 2006, members of the Ferragamo family will accept the award on behalf of the house of Salvatore Ferragamo. As with the previous honorees, Ferragamo will be honored with a permanent plaque in the sidewalk along the world-renowned street, featuring his quote and signature.

"My father, Salvatore Ferragamo, was the first designer to recognize the natural symmetry between the worlds of film and fashion," said Ferruccio Ferragamo, CEO of Salvatore Ferragamo Italia, in a statement.

"From Marilyn Monroe to Madonna, from Some Like It Hot to Evita, the house of Ferragamo has always been synonymous with Hollywood glamour and style. We are therefore delighted to be receiving this honor right where it all began, with a permanent plaque on Rodeo Drive," she added.

Born in Southern Italy, Salvatore Ferragamo immigrated to the United States in 1914, and began his career creating custom-made shoes for the movies.

Working from his famed "Hollywood Boot Shop" which he opened on the corner of Hollywood and Las Palmas Boulevards in 1923, he quickly garnered a devoted following of cinema legends, from Rudolph Valentino, Lillian Gish and Joan Crawford, to Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and Greta Garbo.

Even after he returned to Italy in 1927 to set up his own workshops in Florence, his reputation as "Shoemaker to the Stars" continued.

Ferragamo went on to design shoes for stars such as Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Katherine Hepburn, Lauren Bacall and Sofia Loren, many of whose wooden lasts are today displayed in the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum in the Palazzo Spini Feroni in Florence.

Salvatore Ferragamo's inventive designs have appeared in countless movies, from The Ten Commandments and The Thief of Bagdad, to The Seven Year Itch and Some Like It Hot, right up to contemporary hits such as Evita, Ever After and Traffic.

Inventor of the wedge, as well as the metal-reinforced stiletto heels made famous by Marilyn Monroe, and the 'invisible sandals' with uppers made of nylon thread (which won the prestigious Neiman Marcus Award in 1947), Salvatore Ferragamo has become synonymous with innovation, luxury and style.

The remarkable legacy of Salvatore Ferragamo has been carried forward by his wife, Wanda Miletti Ferragamo, and their six children; thanks to her intelligence, determination and acute business sense, Salvatore Ferragamo is today one of the world's leading designers, producers and distributors of luxury shoes, leather goods, accessories, fragrances and apparel for men and women.

With more than 450 wholly owned and operated boutiques situated in over 55 countries around the globe, the love-affair between Hollywood and Ferragamo is stronger than ever, with international stars such as Keira Knightly, George Clooney, Ziyi Zhang, Eva Mendes and Will Smith wearing the creations of the legendary house.