13th April 2014 would have been the 143rd birthday of Salvatore Capezio, founder of one of the world’s most iconic dancewear brands. Today Capezio is famous for its wide range of leotards, performance wear, dansneakers, tap shoes, ballroom shoes and just about every other piece of dance related clothing and footwear you can think of. But it all started with an innovation in ballet shoes.
At the tender age of 17 Salvatore, having emigrated from Italy to USA, opened a cobbler’s shop opposite the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. One fateful day, he created his first dance shoes when the renowned Polish opera singer Jean de Reszke required an emergency pair – the performer was so impressed by the quality of the shoes that Capezio’s reputation was assured from that day forth. Capezio loved the challenge of creating the perfect dance shoes, particularly the unique challenges presented by pointe shoes.
To this day, Capezio stands for quality and innovation in dance shoes and dancewear, a philosphy that sees them established as one of the world’s leading dance brands.
Capezio leotards, dance wear and shoes are proudly available online at Dancemania.