MANILA, Philippines - In celebration of the 10th annual Guinness World Records Day and the 60th anniversary of the Guinness World Records book, fashion designer Kenneth Cole partnered with Today Show contributor Jill Martin to create the world’s largest high-heeled shoe. The shoe was unveiled on the Today Show during the 10 o’clock hour with Kathie Lee and Hoda.
The replica which was modeled after The Kenneth Cole New York Otto, a polished-leather lug sole bootie from the fall 2014 collection, stands an astonishing 6’1” tall and six feet, five inches long. The shoe, built by Izquierdo Studio, a costume and prop design atelier, took nearly 400 hours to create and required five and a half hides, as well as 3-D printing to craft the buckle and clasp which measured over a foot long.
“The steps involved with creating a shoe are often underestimated, so when Jill called with this idea of creating the world’s largest shoe, I immediately jumped at the chance,” said Kenneth Cole. “My career as a designer has literally reached a new height as breaking a Guinness World Record is no small ‘feet.’”
“I had written on my bucket list that I wanted to break a world record and thought something shoe-related would be a perfect fit! This has been a labor of love and could not have asked for a better teammate. Kenneth Cole is everything he prides himself to be: creative, quirky and extremely philanthropic. I am happy we will step right into the Guinness World Record book together!” said Jill Martin.
The team partnered with the Garden of Dreams Foundation, a non-profit charity that works closely with all areas of The Madison Square Garden Company, including the Knicks, Rangers, Liberty, MSG Entertainment and MSG Media, to make dreams come true for children facing obstacles. Four children from the foundation collaborated with Izquierdo Studios to bring Kenneth’s vision of the shoe to life.
After being unveiled on the Today Show, the shoe will be showcased at Lord & Taylor’s flagship NYC location on their newly renovated shoe floor.
In the Philippines, Kenneth Cole New York is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc. (SSI), a member of The SSI Group, and is located at The Power Plant Mall, BHS Central, Rustan’s Makati, and Shangri-La Plaza Mall.