"If you're wearing a low heel, over-the-top clothes become cool, " said Bruno Magli creative director Max Kibardin, whose delicate kitten heels are his most popular style.

WSJ: The New Heels: Sweet and Low-Down

Ida Magli, an anthropologist, has come up with another reason: childlessness no longer bears a stigma, and the social pressure to marry and have children is much weaker.

ECONOMIST: Why Italians don��t make babies

Hsieh is chief executive of Zappos.com, an online shoe vendor with an inventory of 4 million shoes in 200, 000 styles from 1, 200 shoemakers, including Bruno Magli, Nike and Ugg.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Hsieh is chief executive of Zappos.com, an online shoe vendor with an inventory of 4 million shoes in 200, 000 styles from 1, 200 shoemakers, including Bruno Magli, Nike (nyse: NKE - news - people ) and Ugg.

FORBES: A Step Ahead