Founded in 1887

Salvatore Capezio was born on April 13, 1871 in Muro Lucano, Italy. Uninterested in following in his fathers footsteps as a construction engineer, he became an artist of his own right, a cobbler. In 1887, at the age of 17, he opened his shop on Broadway and 39th Street, diagonally across from the old Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. At the time, the Statue of Liberty was barely a year old and the sign above his door read: The Theatrical & Historical Shoemaker.

He started out repairing theatrical shoes for the Met and his excellent craftsmanship and his easy-going personality made him a favorite among the dancers. After making an emergency pair of shoes for Jean De Reszke, Salvatore made the transition from cobbler to shoemaker. He had found that making dance shoes, pointe shoes in particular, was a challenging balance between delicate construction and complex engineering.

Soon, the shop became a meeting place for dancers who would stop by to discuss their needs and to get a pair of his shoes. One dancer in particular, Angelina Passone, a graduate of La Scala, lingered over the discussion of her shoes and would later become his wife. As his popularity grew, dancers from around the world made it a point to visit him and purchase his shoes. In fact, Anna Pavlova purchased Capezio pointe shoes for herself and her entire company during her first tour of the United States in 1910. Pavlova's generous praise of Capezio pointe shoes ensured Salvatore's success.

A Family Business

As his fame grew, he entrusted his most precious shoemaking secrets to his family who joined him in the business. This expansion allowed for his business to grow and by the 1930's Capezio products were dancing across Broadway in the Ziegfeld Follies and in dozens of other musicals. In 1941 Claire McCardell showed the Capezio long-sole ballet shoe with her collection prompting Lord & Taylor, Neiman Marcus and other major stores to buy and promote Capezio footwear. This trend was so strong that in 1949 Capezio was featured on a cover of Vogue. As a major fashion influence, Capezio received the Coty Award, fashion's highest accolade, in 1952.

The innovation of the products that Salvatore Capezio created and the camaraderie he shared with the dancers molded the direction that his company would follow. In this image, The Capezio was established to promote and recognize ongoing achievements and participation in dance. The Capezio Dance Award was created to honor those who have made a continuous and major contribution to dance.

When Salvatore Capezio retired, he not only left behind a legacy, he left behind a genuine craft and an unsurpassed gift to the dance community. Continuing the legacies that Salvatore began are third and fourth generation family members and their commitment to dance is just as strong. The business that Salvatore began in 1887 and the business that his family runs today is vastly different but the core of our mission remains the same. Today, dance is a lifestyle, an attitude and a basis for exercise. Capezio®/Ballet Makers has and will continue to value and support the growing dance community.

A Growing Family

Our dance family now includes ice skaters and to support them we established Skatewear by Capezio in 1998 with Olympic Gold Medallist Tara Lipinski as our spokes model. In the same year, we also established Dancesport by Capezio to welcome the 2000 Olympics where ballroom dancing, the newest Olympic exhibition sport, will be in the limelight. We are also an official sponsor of Dancesport Championship Limited (DCL).

Capezio products remain in the forefront in quality and in technological advances with innovations like the split-sole, the stretch-insert, the Dansneaker® and the Tapsneaker. In addition, we have established partnerships with some of the brightest young stars and with some of the hottest Broadway shows. Over 100 years after Salvatore fixed a pair of shoes for the Met, Capezio's SMU Theatrical Department is still hand crafting footwear for many shows and company's including the casts of The Lion King and Cats and for Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Disney World and Disney Land.

Without performers there would be no show and Capezio has been shoemaker to some of our greatest performers: Anna Pavlova, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Sammy Davis Jr., Charles "Honi" Coles, Yul Brynner, Eleanor Powell, and Bob Fosse. In the Grand Tradition of dance, Capezio will continue to be in the forefront and on the bodies and feet of countless students and stars like Anne Reinking, Gregory Hines, Savion Glover, and the "Radio City Rockettes".

We are looking forward to our second century and a brand new millenium.